Sermons of the Soul
by Nitrogirl
Summary: " Lion-O, when I went to the Astral Plain, I got a chance to talk to my mother. She made me realize three things about me: I've been a horrible Cleric, an even worse friend, and...I might have fallen for the wrong Cat."
1. Did You Choose the Right Cat?

Hi, everyone! This is my first TC story, so please give me any constructive criticism if any characters get OOC, etc.

Since hearing that the next episode is called " Soul Sever ", there has been a lot of hype about what's going to happen.

Well, one theory inspired me to write this fanfic.

Please, sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Thundercats doesn't belong to me.

Prologue: Did You Choose the Right Cat?

**Cheetara**

Sunset was upon us as we rode in the Thundertank. Lion-O was talking to Panthro about our next destination, Kit, Kat, Pumyra, and Snarf were asleep, and Tygra was trying to have a conversation with me. However, I wasn't engrossed in the conversation at all. My mind was plagued with many thoughts in light of recent events.

Lion-O invited Pumyra to collect firewood with him yesterday, which unnerved me a little. Why did he just want her to go with him? He should have taken all of us. Tygra's comment only made it worse. I can still remember his words very clearly,

" _Poor kid's going to get shot down again_."

Right after those words exited his mouth, I felt an immediate wave of guilt wash over me. I felt terrible about leading Lion-O on like that and causing him so much heartbreak. I should have been clearer with my feelings from the very start.

Still, the thought of Lion-O and Pumyra actually developing feelings for each other upset me. In fact, it made me a little angry and that just confused me. Part of me expressed distate at the mere concept of Lion-O and Pumyra being together, which felt wrong and hypocritical.

Lion-O deserves happiness, so why can't it be with Pumyra? Asking myself that caused anger to stir within me once again.

Why am I so against the thought of Lion-O and Pumyra being together?

What's wrong with me?

Suddenly, my train of thought stopped when the Thundertank jerked to a stop. Lion-O asked,

" Panthro, what's wrong with the Tank?"

" No idea."

We all went outside and discussed what should be done while Panthro started to fix the Tank. Lion-O stated,

" Our next stop is a nearby village. We may be able to get some information about the next Stone, where other ThunderCats are, and stock up on any supplies we might need. It's within walking distance, so we should get going. "

Tygra yawned and whined,

" Can't we do this tomorrow?"

" No. Panthro needs time to fix the Tank and our time could be better spent going to the village, instead of waiting here."

Before we left, Lion-O told Kit and Kat to stay with Panthro. Tygra muttered something underneath his breath and reluctantly followed Lion-O as we walked. They were ahead of me while I walked beside Pumyra when she declared with fustration,

" Tygra can be a real pain. All he does is whine and complain."

" He isn't that bad."

" Of course, you would say that. I don't get why you like him so much. Why did you start liking him anyway?"

A smile formed on my face and I explained,

" When I was younger, I appeared before Jaga to join the Clerics. He refused me, saying that I had no patience and tried to make me leave. However, I was determined to become a Cleric and sat in front of the Clerics Training Chamber for days until Jaga accepted me. However, as the days began to go by, my determination began to fade away. I was close to giving up, but Tygra stopped me. While I was asleep, he present me with a gift: the Day Astrid. Because each petal is said to contain a day of life within them, I began to slowly consume the flower until the heart remained."

I pulled out the heart and continued,

" Tygra was very kind to me back then. He transformed me into the Cleric I am today."

All of a sudden, I heard the sound of Pumyra laughing. I raised my eyebrow and asked, " What's so funny?"

Pumyra snickered while she answered,

" You developed feelings for Tygra because of a **flower!**"

" It was more than that, Pumyra! Tygra's kind heart caused me to develop feelings for him!"

" Kind heart? Tygra? That's more funny than falling for him because of a flower!"

" I told you, it was more than hi-wait, what do you mean by that?"

" Tygra isn't kind, Cheetara."

" Yes, he is."

" Are you serious? Have you not seen the way he treats Lion-O? Trust me, I wouldn't call that kindess."

" Just because Tygra is a little rough around the edges with Lion-O-"

" Rough around the edges? Tygra is nothing but cruel to Lion-O."

" He is not!"

She looked at me with a look of astonishment which made me ask in an irritated tone,

" What?"

" I guess the saying, Love makes you blind, really is true. Sooner or later, you're going to ask yourself: Did I choose the right Cat?"

She ran on ahead to catch up with Lion-O and I muttered,

" That saying doesn't apply to me and I did choose the right Cat."

Minutes later, the path we were on suddenly split into two directions. Pumyra asked, " Which path do we take, Lion-O?"

He pulled out his sword, put it up to his face, and declared, " Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!" The gem in his sword began to glow bright red, which made his eyes glow with radiant blue light. He turned his head both ways to see far off into the distance before ceasing to use the power of the sword. He stated,

" The path on the left will lead us to a canyon. The path on the right will lead us to a forest. Even though going through the canyon is the faster route, it will leave us too exposed to possible enemies. We'll take the path on the right."

Tygra disagreed with this idea immediately be exclaiming,

" Lion-O, that's a horrible idea! We should go left!"

" Tygra, do you always have to question all of my orders?"

" I question the ones that don't make sense! You said the canyon route was the fastest!"

" I also said that we would be exposed to enemies! In the forest, we'll have more cover!"

Tygra snorted and said, " I don't care what you say. I'm taking the canyon route. I don't intend on wandering through a forest come nightfall. Let's go, Cheetara."

He put his arm around me and pulled me with him. I looked back at Lion-O's disappointed face and Pumyra shaking her head behind us. She mouthed out some words to me: I guess love also makes you stupid.

Annoyance filled me up from within which made me turn my head around. Who does she think she is? I'm not stupid. Tygra has his flaws, but he isn't a bad Cat.

My ears perked up when I heard a sound, which caused me to stop walking. Tygra asked me with concern,

" What's wrong?"

" We're being watched."

After I said that, we heard the sounds of cackling. We looked at the canyon to see Jackalman as he said with delight,

" I've found Cats to kill! This will be fun!"

Tygra became arrogant and said,

" It's four to one. You can't possibly beat us."

" Is that so?"

He whistled loudly, causing an enormous amount of lizards to appear alongside him on the canyon. He looked at Tygra and asked before cackling again,

" So tell me, Cat, are the odds still four to one now?"

The only thing that I heard Lion-O say before the lizards stating to attack us was,

" It's an ambush. Whiskers."


	2. Fallen Comrade

Hi, everyone! Here's the next chapter. However, there is something that you should know before you continue:

After the next few parts, the story will become similar to a reboot. I will use some episodes in the story, but also add my own adventures as well.

Now that you know that, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter!

Thundercats doesn't belong to me.

Part 1: Fallen Comrade

**Lion-O**

Enemies surrounded us from each side. There was no way we could take them all on. There was only one way out of this: to retreat. My thoughts were interuppted Pumyra snarled and exclaimed,

" Tygra, this is your fault!"

" You're blaming me for this?"

" Who wanted to take the canyon route?"

Cheetara snapped,

" Tygra isn't to blame for this!"

" Of course, you would defend him. You defend him with **every stupid decision **he makes."

Cheetara's eyes blazed with anger and was about to retort back, but I shouted,

" Enough!"

They all looked at me and I informed, " In case you haven't noticed, we are surrounded by lizards. This isn't the time to be arguing. We need to work together if we want to get out of this alive."

Pumyra sighed and said,

" You're right, Lion-O. What are your orders?"

" We get out of this canyon. If lizards get in our way, we'll have to fight them off. No matter what, we have to leave this canyon and get as far away from the lizards as we can."

Everyone was okay with this plan, except for Tygra.

**Tygra**

I couldn't believe my ears. Lion-O's plan was for us to retreat from the lizards like cowards. My fists clenched in anger as a result of listening to his plan. Me? Retreat? Never! I declared,

" Lion-O, we're not going to retreat."

" Tygra, now isn't the time to let your pride get the better of you, we are out numbered. There is no way that we can take them all on. We have to retreat!"

" Funny, that's not what you said at the Forest of the Petalars."

" That was different! There weren't this many enemies back then!"

" We are ThunderCats, Lion-O! Thundercats never retreat!"

After those words left my lips, I struck my whip, made myself vanish into thin air, and rushed into battle.

**Lion-O **

I groaned when I saw Tygra vanish into thin air. Why doesn't he listen to me? Pumyra crossed her arms and asked, " What do we do now?"

Cheetara grabbed her staff and began to walk towards the enemy, prompting Pumyra to say,

" Don't tell me that you're going through with your insane mate's plan."

" Tygra isn't insane and I will not let him fight the lizards alone."

Her body radiated with yellow light as she sprinted away using her super speed. I sighed and said, " There's no choice. We have to fight." I unsheathed the Sword of Omens from the gauntlet and announced,

" THUNDERCATS, HOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The sword's gem glowed with a bright red light as sparks of lightning ignited in the blade. With my weapon in hand, I ran into battle with Pumyra following close behind.

**Cheetara**

My staff rammed into a lizard's head as I delivered a low kick to another. I was starting to become surrounded by lizards, which caused me to jump into the air and swing my staff downward, causing darts to appear. The darts rained on the lizards and pierced their scaly flesh, causing them to scream in agony. Once I landed on the ground, I extended my staff and hit multiple lizards at once, causing them to be knocked to the ground. Suddenly, I heard a familiar shriek of agony and looked up to the top of the canyon. To my horror, Tygra was pinned to the ground with Jakalman cutting him with his spear. My blood turned cold when I saw Tygra's blood drip from Jakalman's blade. No!

I ran to Tygra as fast as my legs could carry me. Before Jakalman could land another blow, I blocked his blade with my staff. I hissed in rage, " You won't land another blow on him!"

Jakalman nearly laughed and swiped his spear at me. I blocked his every move, but his strength overpowered my own. My staff was knocked out of my hands and fell over the canyon. Without a weapon, my chances of defeating him were slim to none. However, the minute Jakalman swung his spear at me, Tygra lunged at me, making us both fall off the canyon.

We both slid down the canyon, surrounded by hoards and hoards of lizards. Tygra had his arm around my waist while he was using his other hand to shoot his gun at all the lizards that tried to attack us. We made it to the bottom as Tygra had difficulty standing up. His clothes were blood stained as I said in a concerned tone,

" Tygra, you can't fight anymore. You've lost too much blood."

" Cheetara...I..."

He coughed up blood, which made me even more worried. I put his arm around me and helped him stand. Lion-O ran to us and saw Tygra's wounds. His eyes widened at the mere sight of them. He stated, " We need to get out of here." He turned his head and yelled for Pumyra to come join us. Lion-O took Tygra away from me, propped him up, and commanded,

" I'll help Tygra move. You two have to guard us. Pumyra, you're in the front. Cheetara, you're in the back. Stay close and don't run off. Use distant combat."

We both nodded and took our positions. Then, we moved as one formation. Pumyra and I took out any lizards that came near us. We were able to hold them off for only a couple of minutes before the groups that they started attacking us with grew larger and larger. In mere seconds, we were completely surrounded once again and this time, there was no way we could escape. Lion-O said,

" If this is the day we perish, I just want you all to know that it's been an honor to fight alongside you."

I commented, " My loyalty has always been to the crown."

Pumyra added, " I was glad to serve my King."

I was prepared to go down fighting, until I heard the sounds of an engine. All of a sudden, I could see the Thundertank zooming towards us, running over any lizards that were in its path. We jumped and landed on the roof of the Thundertank. Pumyra took Tygra inside the Thundertank while Lion-O and I fought off any lizards who landed on the roof. Panthro drove the Tank as fast as he possibly could in order to get enough distance between us and the lizards to escape.

As the lizards began to appear farther and farther away, a wave of relief washed through me. We were going to make it out alive. Then, I caught a glimpse of Jakalman running in our direction on the top of the canyon. Once he reached the end, he leaped into the air and threw his spear straight toward Lion-O. Lion-O was too busy fighting off a lizard to even notice that the spear was heading straight for him.

I rammed my body into Lion-O's, pushing him out of the way. My heart skipped a beat when I felt the spear's blade enter my back. A shriek of pain left my mouth as I collapsed on the roof of the Tank. Lion-O screamed my name in anguish while knocking the lizard he was fighting out of the roof. He turned his attention to me and gently pulled the spear out of my back. I flinched a little because of the pain and he apologized,

" I'm sorry, Cheetara."

He cradled me into his arms and pressed his hand against my back to try to stop the bleeding. He consoled me tearfully, saying, " It's going to be alright, Cheetara. Just hang on, please...hang on."

He knew what my fate was just as well as I did. I wasn't going to make it.

I tried to speak to him, but I couldn't get a single word out. The only thing that came out of my mouth was short gasps. A second later, it was hard for me to breathe.

There were so many things that I wanted to tell Lion-O before my spirit left his world. I wanted to say that he shouldn't grieve over me, to keep fighting until the very end, rebuild Thundera into a place where all animals can co-exist peacefully, tell Panthro, Pumyra, and the kittens that I was glad to have met them on this journey, and that he is a great King.

Most importantly, I wanted him to tell Tygra that I loved him.

Tears spilled out of my eyes as my sight began to diminish. I didn't want to die, but there was nothing that could be done to save me. I raised my hand in the air to feel Lion-O because I could see nothing but darkness. He grabbed my hand and held onto it as tightly as possible.

A small smile formed on my face, and then, I took my last breath.


	3. Bring Her Back

Hi, everyone! Here's the next chapter. Prepare for the angst! :)

Thundercats doesn't belong to me.

Part 2: Bring Her Back

**Lion-O**

When Cheetara showed no signs of life, I hugged her corpse as a waterfall of tears ran down my face. She blocked the spear that was aimed at me. She died protecting me. It's all my fault. The pain I was experiencing was unimaginable. My heart felt like it was being ripped to shreds and there was no way that it could ever be mended. The Cat I love is no longer here with me...because of me. My tears fell on her face when I leaned down so my forehead could touch hers and whispered, " Cheetara, please forgive me."

I visualized how the others would act when they learned of her demise. The thought of having to tell them pained me even more. Still, I have to tell them. They deserve to know what happened. I wiped my tears away and picked her up. Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for what was about to unfold and walked inside the Tank.

**Tygra**

" OW!", I growled as Pumyra was bandaging my wounds. She rolled her eyes and said,

" Don't be such a baby."

" Why can't Cheetara mend my wounds?"

" She's with Lion-O right now."

The thought of them together caused my blood to boil. Cheetara is my mate, she shouldn't be alone with Lion-O, she should be with me. I complained, " What's taking her so long?"

Panthro informed, " Stop complaining, Tygra. She's probably helping Lion-O fight off any lizards that were on our trail."

We heard footsteps come from above us and saw Lion-O jump through the roof's opening and land on the Tank's floor. My eyes widened in shock when I saw an unconscious Cheetara. Pumyra asked,

" Is she alright?"

Lion-O shook her head grimly and announced in a grave voice, " Cheetara won't be able to fight alongside us anymore." There was pain in his eyes as he bit his lip before opening his mouth again. The next words out of his mouth caused my blood to turn cold,

" S-She's dead."

**Lion-O**

Saying those words hurt, but seeing the look of shock on the others hurt me even more. Tygra ran up to me and snatched Cheetara out of my arms, screaming, " You're lying! She can't be dead! She just can't!"

I could feel tears stinging my eyes as I responded, " I'm sorry, Tygra, but she's gone."

Tygra looked at me with rage and yelled, " **Don't lie to me!**"

**Tygra**

I placed my head against her chest to hear a heartbeat while my fingers traveled up and down her neck in search of a pulse. There was nothing, not even a single sign of life. Cheetara...my mate...was gone forever.

I looked at Lion-O with furious eyes and demanded answers,

" How did this happen?"

Lion-O tore his gaze away from me in an act of hesitation. My fists clenched in anger when he did this. As a result, I walked up to him and grabbed the collar of his shirt. Lion-O looked at me with startled eyes as I ordered,

" Tell me how Cheetara died."

" Kaynar...he...he threw his spear at me. I-I didn't notice that the spear was coming towards me, but Cheetara did. S-She pushed me out of the way, but...got hit instead."

My eyes widened in disbelief. Cheetara died...saving Lion-O? I felt nothing but hatred towards Lion-O at that moment because in that moment, I realized something:

It was all Lion-O's fault.

**Lion-O**

The next thing I knew, my face was introduced to Tygra's fist. The sheer impact of his punch caused me to fall to the floor. I tried to get up, but he pinned me to the ground and began to punch me over and over again. Pumyra attempted to pull him off of me, but he just swung his fist behind him, knocking her to the ground. He started to scream,

" This is all your fault! Everything is your fault! Why do you have to take everything from me? First, you took Mother! Next, you took my kingdom! Now, you took my mate! I loved Cheetara more than you ever did and you let her die! You killed her!"

I just closed my eyes and let him mercilessly beat me. I deserved it. He was right after all. It may not have been by my own hand, but she died protecting me. In a way, I did kill her.

I was able to see my blood on his knuckles, but my vision started to become very blurry. Suddenly, I saw him pointing an object at me. It took me a minute to realize that he was aiming his energy pistol at my face. I looked up at his blurry silhouette and apologized,

" Tygra, I'm sorry."

" Sorry doesn't cut it. Sorry won't bring her back to me. It should have been you, Lion-O. You should have died instead of her!"

He squeezed the trigger, which made me shut my eyes tightly. I didn't feel any pain and opened my eyes to see Panthro with a gun in one hand while his other hand twisted Tygra's arm behind his back. He dragged Tygra to the door and threw him out of the Tank. Tygra landed on the ground and screamed,

" Panthro, what are you doing?"

" Tygra, take a walk to clear your head. You won't be allowed to get back in this Tank if you don't."

Panthro slammed the door shut as he pulled me into the chair. Pumyra started to tend to my own wounds as Kit knelt in front of me, saying,

" Lion-O, this wasn't your fault."

" Kit, it is my fault. If I had been more alert, Cheetara would still be alive. I'm the one who should be dead."

She placed her hand over mine and informed, " You are our King. If you died, Tygra would be our new King and we all know that he's not much of a leader. You are our leader, Lion-O, you're the only one who can wield the Sword of Omens, the only one who can rebuild Thundera, and the only one who can unite all the animals to coexist in peace."

I felt water drip onto my hand. Kit was crying? That question was answered when I could hear her sniff and snob while saying,

" So, please Lion-O...don't say that you should have died."

Kat took his sister away to console her as Pumyra finished tending to my injuries. She ordered,

" Get some rest."

She walked away while exhaustion quickly swept through me. Then, I was overtaken by slumber.

I felt my soul separating from my body and once that happened, I was instantly transported into the Astral Plain.

Jaga's spirit appeared before me and informed,

" Kit is right, Lion-O. The blame does not rest with you."

" Jaga...Cheetara's dead, because of me. She's gone...forever."

" She may no longer be among the living, but she certainly isn't gone forever."

" What are you saying?"

" There is a way to get her back, Lion-O."

" There is? Tell me!"

" Her soul drifts within the Astral Plain. All you have to do is find it and take it back to the world of the living. Then, you must place her soul back into her body and she will be brought back to life. So, tell me, Lion-O, will you do it?"

" Yes, of course!"

Jaga gave me a soft smile and added before sending me back to my body, " I have faith in you."

I woke up with a start and commanded, " Panthro, get Tygra."

He raised an eyebrow and asked,

" Are you sure about that? He tried to kill you. What if he hasn't calmed down yet?"

" He won't do anything to me, especially once he hears what I have to say."

Panthro did as I requested and left to get my brother. Minutes later, he pulled Tygra into the Tank and closed the door behind him.

He looked at me with hatred and said,

" I'm not going to apologize for what I did."

I shook my head and specified,

" I don't want an apology from you. I just want you to listen to what I have to say."

" Save your breath. There's nothing I need to hear from you that could possibly-"

" Cheetara can be brought back to life."

He was stunned into silence for a few minutes before looking at me sternly and saying,

" I warn you: if this is a joke..."

" No joke, Tygra. Jaga took me to the Astral Plane himself. He told me that her soul is in the Astral Plane and that all I have to do is find it and put it back into her body. Then, she would return to us."

This plan didn't sit well with Tygra because he snapped,

" I should do bring her back, not you! I'm not putting this mission into the hands of Cheetara's killer!"

" Call me what you want, Tygra, but we both know that I'm the only one who can do this. The Spirit Stone responds to me, not you."

Tygra growled at me for making that statement and glared while I stepped toward Cheetara's body. Pulling the Sword of Omens out the gauntlet, I held it out in front of me. However, before I was able to use its power, I felt Tygra's hand grab my shoulder and pull me back. He said in a deadly voice,

" If you fail, you are dead to me."

I ripped my shoulder out of grip and declared with a tone of determination,

" I will not fail. I will bring Cheetara back. After all, you're not the only one who loves her."

That took Tygra aback and made him back off. Regaining my focus, I said, " Sword of Omens, take me to the Astral Plane." The red gem activated as well the Spirit Stone. I felt my soul leave my body once again and dive into the Astral Plane.

Cheetara, I'm coming.


	4. Important Meetings

Hi, everyone! I apologize for the long wait. I hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

Thundercats doesn't belong to me. Cheetalia and Death does.

Thundercats doesn't belong to me.

Part 3: Important Meetings

**Lion-O**

Time seemed to pass by slowly in the Astral Plane. It felt like I was here for hours, just searching for Cheetara's soul. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I wish I had an inkling about where to start looking. Then, I got an idea. Pulling the Sword of Omens out of the gauntlet, I announced, " I hope you can tell me where Cheetara's soul is. Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!"

The red gem radiated with power as images flashed before my eyes. In these images, I saw a hooded figure with the hands of a skeleton. He pulled his hood off to reveal a skull with malicious red glowing eyes. Evil laughter erupted from him, causing me to drop the Sword of Omens. The images disappeared, while I breathed long and deep breaths. My hands were trembling as I picked up the Sword of Omens from the ground and put it back in the gauntlet.

What did I just see?

**Cheetara**

I awakened to find myself floating in nothing but darkness. The only light that could be seen was radiating from me. What? Where am I? A white ball of light appeared before me as it transformed itself into a mysterious figure. The figure turned out to be a Cheetah that was covered in a white regal gown and had a crown on her head. She had long golden hair like me. She smiled sadly at me and said,

" It's been a long time, Cheetara. Although, I hoped I wouldn't see you here until you were an elderly Cat."

" Who are you and how do you know my name?"

The Cheetah looked at me with puzzled eyes, which then transformed into eyes of understanding. Then, she spoke,

" I knew there was a chance you wouldn't remember me, after all, you were separated from me at a very young age. I've been watching you for so long. My name is Cheetalia, Queen of the Cheetah clan, and your mother. "

" M-My mother?"

**Lion-O**

" Jaga!", I screamed into vast open space of the Astral Plane. He appeared in spirit form before me and asked,

" What is it, Lion-O?"

" The Sword of Omens showed me a vision that is connected to Cheetara's soul! He...He's a skeleton that hides his appearance in a black cloak and wields a scythe."

" It's as I feared. Cheetara's soul is in the hands of Death."

" Death?"

" Yes, Death is the figure you saw in your vision. He rules over part of the Astral Plane, the Kingdom of the Dead. That is his domain. Since Cheetara is no longer living, he owns her soul."

" Is there any way I can get it back?"

" Yes, but it won't be easy."

He pointed his staff toward me as a door appeared in front of me. He informed,

" This door will lead you into Death's domain. However, I must warn you, Lion-O. Death is ruthless and merciless. You must not waver, because if you do, you may never be able to walk among the living again."

**Cheetara**

I questioned,

" You are my mother?"

" Yes."

"...Prove it."

" What?"

" Prove it to me, so I know that I'm not looking at an illusion. You said you've been watching me, right? Tell me, what is my favorite flower and why did I want to become a Cleric?"

The Cheetah sighed and stated, " Your favorite flower is the Day Astrid because it reminds you of the day you became a Cleric and the day that you met the love of your life. You became a Cleric because it was your dream ever since you were a cub."

I looked at her blankly and confirmed,

" Y-You really are...my..."

She nodded as I rushed up to her and embraced her tearfully. I sobbed, " Mother...I finally...get...to meet you."

She returned my hug and said, " Cheetara, my darling, forgive me. I didn't wish to part with you when you were a child, but it had to be done."

I released Mother and asked,

" Why did it have to be done?"

" Our clan was attacked by Lizards. They ambushed us with a huge army. There was no way we could win. However, we still defended ourselves. In the midst of the conflict, I sent you away with a bodyguard so you wouldn't get hurt. During the battle, I was gravely wounded and perished three days later after the battle ended. While I was on my death bed, I heard news of your bodyguard. He was slain by Lizards, but there was no sign of your body. Since then, I hoped and prayed that you were still alive."

Mother looked at me with a happy expression on her face and commented, " Cheetara, I am so proud of you. You accomplished so much during your life. You became accepted into the Clerics at such a young age and trained to become one of the very best Clerics that Thundera ever had. You have also grown into a beautiful, strong, smart, and independent young Cat."

Her eyes portrayed sadness as she continued, " Even though you have accomplished this, it pains me to say that you have disappointed me as of late."

I was shocked and asked, " How have I disappointed you?"

She looked at me sternly and responded, " You are no longer the smart, strong and independent Cat that filled me with such pride. In fact, I can't even consider you a proper Cleric anymore."

Her response filled me with anger as I exclaimed,

" I am strong and independent and I was a proper Cleric until my dying day!"

She scoffed,

" I will admit, you were a proper Cleric, but only at your dying day. Until that time came, you have brought disgrace to the very name. You were strong and independent, but all that changed when you became that tiger's mate."

" Tygra? What does he have to do with this?"

She was about to answer my question when she turned her head away from me. I questioned,

" Is something wrong?"

She held up her hand and declared,

" Show me what I desire. Who is here in Death's kingdom?"

A circle appeared, glowed, and showed us images. I gasped when I saw Lion-O walking alone in the darkness. I questioned,

" Why is he here?"

" Maybe, he's trying to bring you back to life."

Surprise rippled through me and tried to confirm,

" I-It can happen?"

" Yes."

A spark of hope ignited in me after she said that, but it was extinguished when she added,

" Although, I doubt that's what he's doing."

" Why?"

" Simple. I think neither Lion-O or Tygra loves you enough to do it."

" WHAT?"

" That may upset you, but it's the truth. Granted, Lion-O did love enough to do it in the past, but you ripped his heart out. Why would he try to bring you back after you caused him so much pain by starting a relationship with his brother and flaunting said relationship in front of him?"

" We do not flaunt it and I felt terrible about breaking his heart, but I...I didn't feel the same way about him."

Mother snorted, " Putting Lion-O aside, Tygra definitely wouldn't try to bring you back to life because he never really loved you."

This caused fury to explode within me, making me scream,

" He does love me! It's just that he can't come!"

" Is that so? Then, explain to me why he went into the Astral Plane with Lion-O when you were searching for the Spirit Stone."

I was stunned into silence as she continued,

" He didn't have a problem coming here then, what's so different about this time?"

" Lion-O...told...h-him not to come! That's it! It has to be!"

Mother sighed and informed,

" You have eyes, but you are still blind. You have a lot to learn and fortunately, I am here to teach you."

" Teach me what?"

" Teach you the mistakes you've made in life and how to correct them. First lesson: your role a Cleric. Now, let's begin."

**Lion-O**

After entering the door, I found myself in a void of eternal darkness. Seeing nothing but darkness unnerved me, but I had to hold my ground, for Cheetara's sake. I called,

" Death, where are you?"

Maniacal laughter filled the air as the hooded figure from my vision walked toward me. I felt fear consume me, but refused to let it show. Death said icily while removing his hood to show me his face,

" Welcome to my domain Lion-O, Lord of the Thundercats, my kingdom of the deceased."

" You have something I want."

" I do? Now, what would that be? Oh, yes, the soul of your beloved Cheetah. Yes, I do have that, but I will not had such a precious soul to you that easily. If you want it, you'll have to pass eight tests. If you pass, your Cheetah's soul will be returned to you. If you fail, your soul will belong to me."

" Alright, I understand."

" Think carefully about this, young King. Failure results in death. Is this one Cat worth putting your own life on the line?"

" Yes, she is."

" Very well. Then, let your first test begin."


	5. Lesson 1: Duty

Hi, everyone! Welcome to the next chapter!

Special thanks to my partner in crime, Tanneal. Without him, this story wouldn't be turning out as great as it is. With his help, I know it's going to get better and better.

Thundercats doesn't belong to me. Cheetalia and Death does.

Thundercats doesn't belong to me.

Enjoy!

Part 4: Lesson #1: Duty

**Cheetara**

I asked Mother before the lesson started, " Why do you question my duty as a Cleric?"

She looked at me and replied, " I question your duty as a Cleric because you have stopped acting like one."

Irritation filled me up from the inside. How can she say I have stopped acting like one? I yelled, " I acted like a Cleric until my dying day!"

Mother looked at me with stern eyes and declared with a serious tone, " You did act like a Cleric at one time, but then you degraded yourself by starting a relationship with the tiger. You stopped acting like a proper Cleric and became the tiger's trophy."

I clenched my fists with anger as she stated,

" I can prove it to you."

" What?"

" I can show you where you shined and failed as a Cleric."

**Cheetalia**

I held out my hand and announced, " Show me what I desire. Show me when Cheetara acted like a true Cleric."

The glowing circles appeared once again, showing me images of my past. " Watch.", she commanded, directing my attention to the circle. The pictures showed me the night we spent in the woods after Thundera fell. Lion-O and I were siting around a small fire when Lion-O mumbled,

" _In the blink of an eye..."_

I saw Cheetara look at Lion-O and say,

" _Hm?_"

He turned his head and look at the fire, responding, " _Nothing. It's just...I keep thinking about my father. I-I know it sounds dumb, but...I thought he'd live forever. He gave his life and for what? We have nothing left."_

Cheetara put her hand over his and commented,

" _We have the sword. We have each other, but most importantly, we have hope."_

_" Do we?"_

Cheetara smiled and nodded, before Snarf jumped onto Lion-O and started playing with him.

The images changed from the woods to the Forest of the Petelars. Lion-O was having trouble mastering the concept of Sight beyond Sight. Panthro, Tygra, Kit, Kat, Snarf, and Cheetara were sitting on the Thundertank. Cheetara said,

" _Jaga's clues have gotten us this far. Now, it's up to Lion-O to lead us the rest of the way._"

Lion-O tried to do Sight Beyond Sight repeatedly, but couldn't. Panthro asked incredulously,

"_ Are you trying to tell me that our only chance in finding the Book of Omens, is if his sword gives us directions_?"

Tygra smiled smugly and added, " _It's about as hopeless as it sounds_."

Cheetara interjected, " _Lion-O can get us there. He just needs to believe in himself._" Her face portrayed annoyance as she continued, " I_t might help if you believed in him too._"

All of the Cats looked at Lion-O when he exclaimed with fustration, " _This is dumb! I don't even know what I'm looking for!_"

Cheetara got off the Thundertank and walked towards Lion-O, informing, " _Sometimes, if you look too hard, you miss what's right in front of you._"

He grumbled a reply, " _Tell me about it._"

Cheetara put a hand on his shoulder and instructed, " _If you can master Sight Beyond Sight, it will show you what your eyes can't see, but your mind must be open. Now, try again, and this time, relax."_

The images changed one more time to reveal the Cats in a cave that overlooked the jungle. Lion-O's fists trembled in anger as he screamed, " _There's nothing here! All those traps just to protect more jungle? Maybe, no one can find this temple because it doesn't exist_!"

Cheetara spoke up behind him, " _Or maybe, it takes more than just getting past physical traps to find it. Believe in yourself. I do._" She placed her hand over his fist, making it cease movement. He pulled out his sword and declared fiercely,

"_ Sword of Omens, give me Sight beyond Sight_!"

The circle's surface turned black while I turned to Cheetara, saying, " That was the Cheetara that gave me such pride. You were acting a true Cleric back then: **loyal to your King, encouraging him when others wouldn't, and giving him the emotional support he needed to go on.** Tell me, Cheetara? What happened to that Cleric? **Why did she leave**?"

She didn't answer me, so I answered for her in a cold tone, " Wait, I know why she left. She left because you decided to **change yourself** for the tiger when you became the tiger's**arm candy**!"

Cheetara looked at me defiantly and screamed,

" I did not change myself for Tygra nor did I stop acting like a Cleric!"

" You did stop acting like a Cleric and I will show you! Show me what I desire. Show me the times that Cheetara neglected her duties as a Cleric."

The circle showed the Cats hiding in a canyon, watching an army of Lizards pass by. Lion-O said with a tone of astonishment,

" It's the lizards we set free earlier. Mumm-Ra must have captured them."

Tygra interjected nonchalantly,

" _Whether they're prisoners or deserters, they're not our problem anymore_."

" _You don't understand. If we don't stand by them, they'll stand by Mumm-Ra_."

Cheetara agreed with Tygra after Lion-O said that, " _Tygra's right. It's too dangerous to save Lizards who can turn on us tomorrow_."

The circle showed us darkness while Cheetara defended herself,

" How did I neglect my duty? Tygra was right! Why should we save Lizards that could betray us at any time?"

I snapped back,

" Have you forgotten that it is your King's goal to have **unity** within all species of animals?"

" I-I was..."

" Any true Cleric would know that."

" I was...I just thought..."

" No, you weren't thinking. Apparently, the tiger has robbed you of your ability to think for yourself."

" That's not true!"

" Yes, it is. Ever since you became his mate, you don't ever speak up against him. You go along with whatever he says. Doing that led to your demise. If you ask me, the tiger was the one responsible for ending your life."

" Tygra wasn't the reason I died! I died protecting Lion-O!"

" Your King gave specific orders to take the route that provided more cover. Your mate decided to take the shortest route with no cover whatsoever. All you did nothing to speak against him. **Try to tell me otherwise**."

Cheetara fell silent and turned her head in shame. I said,

" That's what I thought. The tiger's actions were an important factor in your death. If you went the other way, as Lion-O ordered, you wouldn't be in the situation you're in right now. Face it, Cheetara. **Because of your mate, you died**."

Her eyes widened with realization, but also portrayed pain. I was getting to her, but I couldn't stop. There was so much more of this lesson she needed to learn. I sighed and informed,

" Sadly, this isn't the event that caused me to be so disappointed in you."

Her head shot up and she questioned, " What was that event...that made you lose your pride in me?"

I raised my hand to the circle announcing dejectedly, " Show me what I desire. Show me the night that Cheetara betrayed her King."

I heard Cheetara shout,

" That never happened!"

" Watch."

The circle showed Tygra, Cheetara, and Lion-O fighting Kaynar, Slithe, and Addicus. Tygra got himself tied up by his own whip with Kaynar pointing his spear at the back of his head. Kaynar declared, " Surrender or we'll kill him!" Lion-O's face showed shock when Slithe stated,

" _I believe it's your turn to surrender now._"

Lion-O became furious and shouted back while bearing arms against Slithe, " _Never! There's still two of us!_"

The sound of something clanging against the ground rang in Lion-O's ears. He turned around to see Cheetara drop her staff to the ground in an act of surrender. Lion-O investigated in disbelief,

" _Cheetara! What are you doing? I thought we had to stick together!"_

_" I have to stick with him_."

Slithe took Lion-O's distraction as a perfect opportunity to strike him down. He slammed his weapon against Lion-O's head, knocking him out in one blow. Slithe ordered, " _Kill them in whatever manner amuses you_."

Addicus trapped Cheetara in a headlock and began to choke the life out of her before the circle turned black.

Cheetara yelled in fury,

" You expected me to let Tygra die?"

" I expected you to remain loyal to your King."

" If I didn't surrender, Tygra would have died!"

" **Your first priority is standing by Lion-O until the end! You didn't! Instead, you betrayed him to save your mate! As a Cleric, your duty should always come first before personal desire! If Panthro didn't save you, you all would have died. If circumstances would have turned out differently, there wouldn't even be a Lord of the Thundercats because of your foolish actions. You disappoint me, Cheetara. You have dishonored the great name of Clerics. If Jaga could see you now, not only would he wretch in disgust, he would probably regret allowing you to become a Cleric in the first place**."

My words caused her to shed a tear as Cheetara began to absorb everything that I told her. Brokenly, she said,

" I-I understand."

" Do you?"

" Yes."

" Let's put your words to the test."

I snapped my fingers and changed the environment around us. Lion-O and Tygra appeared behind me, suspended in the air, trapped in glowing ropes. I ran towards them, only to be blocked by Mother. I demanded answers,

" Mother, what are you doing?"

" This is a test to see if you have truly learned your lesson."

A small hourglass appeared in my hand as I explained,

" Your goal is to fight your way through me in order to save them, Cheetara. You only have one minute, starting now."

The hourglass floated in the air, flipping itself over.

**Cheetara**

A white staff appeared in Mother's hands and she attacked me with full force. My own staff materliazed in front of me and I used it to defend myself. It took all my power to block every single one of her attacks. My eyes widened when I heard Lion-O and Tygra scream in agony. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach as a result of Mother slamming her staff into my stomach. I held my stomach in pain and doubled over while Mother scolded,

" You shouldn't be so easy to distract in battle. If you continue fighting like this, you won't be able to save either one of them."

I grasped my staff tightly and attacked her will all my might. She dodged every single one of my attacks, saying,

" Your attacks are slow and predictable. Your fight pattern is easy to read. You have to fix that."

Irritation started to fester within me, so I improvised. I threw my staff down and lunged at her. She held her staff out in front of her in a defensive stance. Quickly, I grabbed her staff and curled up my body. Then I swung underneath the staff and kicked her in the stomach. Mother gasped in pain and dropped the staff. I didn't give her a chance to recover because I hit her with her own staff, knocking her to the ground. While she was down, I ran past her, going straight to Tygra. I was about to free him when I heard Mother inform,

" You can only save one of them from death."

I turned around to look at her as she continued,

" Choose carefully, Cheetara. Who will you save: your mate or your King?"

I looked back and forth between the two, watching them squirm and grunt with pain as the ropes got tighter and wrapped around their necks. She...expected me to choose between saving one over the other? The staff shook in my hands when I heard Mother question in an icy tone,

"** Are you willing to betray your King a second time**?"

I closed my eyes and made my decision.

**Cheetalia**

Cheetara freed Lion-O as Tygra painfully asked,

" W-Why? Why did you choose him over me?"

She painfully turned her back to him and announced,

" I am a Cleric. It is my duty to protect and stand by my King, no matter what."

Tears ran down her face as she heard Tygra's cries of pain transform into painful gasps for breath. Then, he spoke no more. I snapped my fingers, making Lion-O, Tygra, and the staffs disappear. Cheetara dropped to her knees and started to sob, making me turn my head away in pain. It wasn't my intention to hurt her, but she has to learn these lessons if she expects to become a stronger Cat if Lion-O suceeds in bringer her back to life.

If that happens, she can't make any more foolish judgements based on the tiger. She needs to be able to stand by her King and protect him at a moment's notice. I patted her head and complimented,

" Well done. You've passed this lesson. It's time to go on to the next one."

**Lion-O**

I questioned," What is my first test?"

Death smirked at me and said,

" My tests are designed to face your inner demons and flaws, young King. Remember, if you fail any one of these tests, your soul will be stolen from you. You will never leave the Astral Plane. You will be forever imprisoned in the Kingdom of the Dead."

" I'm aware of that and I'm willing to risk my soul."

" Very well, your first test will test your pride as a King."

He clapped once as I felt myself falling into darkness. I screamed all the way down as I disappeared into the void of emptiness.


	6. Pride Part 1

Hi, everyone! Apologies for the long wait. This chapter gave me writer's block. Welcome to the next chapter!

Thundercats doesn't belong to me. Cheetalia and Death does.

Enjoy!

Part 5: Pride - Part 1

**Death**

After sending the young King away, I sat on my throne and summoned a viewing circle to watch Lion-O fall through the void of darkness. I said that his pride would be tested, but how should I go about doing it? There are so many ways, but I want to break him. I want to crush his spirit. I want to squeeze every last bit of hope that he has of getting his cheetah's soul back. Because, the more he suffers, the much sweeter it will be when I take his soul away from him. The soul of the King of Thundercats in my possession...the mere thought of it made me smile with glee. Still, the question remained: How should I test the pride of the young lion in the most excruciating way possible?

An idea popped into my head, making me smirk coldly. My bony hand radiated with power and I waved it in the direction of the circle. Lion-O ceased his cries and lost consciousness. Then, his appearance began to change and I implanted fake memories into his mind.

I asked myself out loud, " How will you handle it, Lion-O? How will you handle a future where nothing is at it seems?"

**Lion-O**

My face felt extremely warm because of the sun's light, which woke me up with a start. I sat up quickly to notice that I was lying in a bed. What am I doing here? I put my fist underneath my chin in a gesture of thinking, only to feel something that shouldn't be there...hair. What? I rushed to the mirror that was hanging on the other side of my room and gasped in surprise. I looked completely different.

The Cat in the reflection had longer, shoulder-length, red hair and a bushy red beard. The height was changed too. I was taller, at least Tygra's height. My clothes were different. Instead my usual attire, I had on a red worn down tunic with some blue torn pants. Also, I had a black scarf around my neck. Why was I dressed like this? Where was I?

I walked outside to see that I was in a small white house with a blue roof. Next to it, a red barn was situated and next to that, was a garden filled with edible fruits and plants. I screamed in confusion, " I'm...at...a...FARM? Why am I at a farm? I'm the Lord of the Thundercats! Why aren't I at the Palace?"

Taking a few deep breaths, I calmed down and began to think. Okay, Lion-O, what do you remember?

My mind took a trip back in time and I found myself watching a battle of epic proportions Two individuals were fighting. One was a warrior with golden armor that bore a magnificent sword that emitted powerful strikes of lightning with every strike. However, what caught my eye, was the red gem in the blade, glowing with power. That's the Sword of Omens. That's...That's me.

The other one looked like an unearthly creature with black, demonic wings coming out of its back. Like its opponent, it too was donned in armor: midnight black armor. It was carrying a dark blade that was filled with malicious energy. Fury consumed me when I laid eyes on him and I growled, " Mumm-Ra..."

I heard my past self declare,

" _Mumm-Ra, your time of striking fear into the hearts of others is over. Surrender now, because there's no chance you can win."_

Mumm-Ra erupted in evil laughter and responded,

" _Me? Surrender to you? Never! You are weak, just like your father was. He couldn't defeat me and neither will you!"_

The Sword of Omens began to pulsate as my past self swung it downward sharply. A red wave of energy zoomed toward Mumm-Ra and severed his right wing off his body. He screamed in agony as another wave of energy ripped his other wing of his back. My eyes widened as I say myself fighting toe to toe with Mumm-Ra and winning. After battling him with strength and magic, Mumm-Ra had his back to the ground with the Sword of Omens pointing at his face. I raised my sword and said,

" It's over. I've won."

The sword collided with Mumm-Ra making a cut appear across his chest. Then, he started to disintegrate into tiny pieces, uttering out his last words,

" I cannot die...I am...Mumm-Ra...the...Everliving."

My mind was brought back to reality after seeing that. That's right...I defeated Mumm-Ra. Still, that doesn't explain why I'm here instead of at the palace. I need to find out why.

I walked outside and accidentally bumped into a old Cat with spotted golden fur and clothes similar to mine. He fell on the ground and I apologized quickly for what happened,

" I'm sorry for running into you like that. Here, let me help you up."

I reached my hand out towards him and he took it, laughing. He dusted the dirt and rocks off of him and replied,

" Don't worry about it, old friend."

My eyes widened in surprise, making the Cat squint his eyes at me. He questioned,

" Remember me? Your good friend, Leoparo?"

" No, not really. Listen, you have me confused with some other Cat."

He chuckled once again and slapped me on the back, commenting,

" No, I don't. You must be working too hard, Leo. Your mind can't take all the work."

" Leo? My name's not Leo."

" Of course it is! You were given that name the day you were born."

" No, my name is not Leo. It's Lion-O."

Suddenly, his hand clamped over my mouth. I brushed his hand away and questioned,

" What'd you do that for?"

" You know you can't speak His Royal Majesty's name so bluntly like that! Do you want to get imprisoned, Leo?"

I was about to tell him again that my name was Lion-O and not Leo when we heard the sound of trumpets. Leoparo's face lit up and he grabbed my arm, dragging me into the street. I questioned,

" Where are you taking me?"

" To the main street, Leo, where else?"

" Why?"

" Leo, you've been overworking yourself! Have you forgotten that the Royal Engagement Parade is today?"

I gripped my arm out of his grip and demanded,

" Royal Engagement What?"

" Parade, Leo! The King is celebrating his engagement by throwing a parade."

My arm was in his grasp once again and I was pulled into a sea of Cats. When he finally stopped, we were near the front of the crown while he exclaimed with excitement,

" Look, it's about to start!"

The street began to fill itself up with dancing Cats and new Clerics running performing flips and somersaults in the air while radiating with gold light. The Thunderian Army marched while flipping their swords into the air and catching them with ease. Further down, I saw Cats playing musical instruments that played music ranging from a soothing lullaby to wild and free rhythms. Despite my quest for answers, I had to admit: this parade was spectacular. We never had things like this when Father was King.

Then, two Cats in their teenage years rode through the streets on hover boards. One was female with long red and black hair. She was wearing a Clerics uniform, just without the hood. The other one was dressed the same way, but it was a male Cat with spiked brown and white hair. Could those two be...Kit and Kat?

Suddenly, they pulled out a brown bag and said one word. The bag began to push valuable items out of it like Candyfruit, coins, etc. Leoparo and I caught two balls of Candyfruit. It's them, alright. I sank my teeth into it and savored the sweet flavor when I heard Kit announce,

" Fellow Cats, our King is here with his new bride!"

Every Cat in the crowd began to cheer with ecstasy, including Leoparo. A white platform rolled into sight that was covered in Day Astrids. Sitting on the platform was a female Cat wearing a beautiful white wedding gown that had delicate silver patterns of the very same flowers she was surrounded by. Her face was concealed by a veil until she lifted it off her face. My jaw dropped when I saw who it was: Cheetara. She was getting married? To whom?

My questioned was answered when I saw a stripped Cat appear next to her with a crown on his head. He was wearing black formal clothing with the royal armor on his shoulders. On his arm, was a gauntlet that held the Sword of Omens. Fury stirred within me while everyone cheered at his presence. That was no King. That was my brother, Tygra. He stopped the platform and announced,

" I am overjoyed that all of you are here to celebrate my engagement to Che-"

" **THE CROWN DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU**!"

My screams made everyone gasp as I pushed myself to the front of crowd where everyone could see me. The Clerics surrounded me with their staffs pointed at me, but were stopped by Tygra. He declared,

" Clerics, stand down. He wishes for an audience with the King, so he shall have it."

The Clerics did as he wished when he turned to me and asked,

" You think that the crown does not belong to me?"

" I know it doesn't!"

" Very well, who do you think it belongs to?"

" It belongs to me! It's rightfully mine!"

My statement caused Tygra to start laughing, along with everyone else. Tygra wiped a tear from his eye due to his laughter and responded,

" Okay, I understand. You want to be like me, which is understandable. Despite being handsome and engaged to the most beautiful Cat in the world, I am the best King of the Thundercats."

Everyone cheered at his remark, which only made me coldly refute back,

" No, you are not. I have seen you become King once before and you almost got Kit, Kat, Panthro, and Cheetara killed. A true King wouldn't make foolish decisions that endanger his fellow Cats."

Tygra clenched his fists in anger and demanded answers from me,

" Who are you?"

" I am Lion-O, son of Claudius, your brother, and rightful heir to the throne."

Tygra's eyes widened in surprise and everyone started an uproar. I could hear their voices in the background.

" He has nerve! Saying His Royal Majesty's name like that..."

" That's impossible!"

" How dare he talk to Lord Tygra like that?"

Then, disdain filled Tygra's face as he declared with fury,

" You are not Lion-O. He's died honorably in the war against Mumm-Ra years ago and I will not have you dishonor him so shamefully."

" I speak the truth. I am Lion-O and you aren't the true King!"

" I am the true King!"

" Prove it! Hold the Sword of Omens before us!"

Everyone gasped as smirk formed on my face. Tygra could never hold the Sword of Omens. It would always reject him. Now, everyone would know that he isn't who he says he is. He grabbed ahold of the blade with his left hand and held it up for everyone to see. However, instead of rejecting him, the Sword made no action in his grip. This confused me. What? Why isn't the Sword rejecting him?

Tygra stated, " As you can see, I can hold the Sword of Omens quite well."

There must be some sort of mistake. How can- My thoughts were interuptted when a Candyfruit collided with my face, breaking upon impact. The sweet juice got into my eyes, causing them to burn and discomfort me. Next, I was pelted with Candyfruit while hearing the other Cats scream at me,

" Cheat!"

" Liar!"

" How dare you disrespect our King!"

" Ungrateful Cat!"

" Swine!"

I couldn't see due to the Candyfruit juice in my eyes, I could feel the candy's juice soak my entire body. Suddenly, I felt a hand grasp mine and pull me away from all the comotion.

**Tygra**

After the Cat left, I put the Sword of Omens back into its gauntet and reached into my pocket. I pulled out my black gloves and put them on my hands. Cheetara looked at me and then my gloves, commenting,

" It's been a long time since I've seen those. Is everything okay?"

" Yes, it's fine. I just felt a little nostalgic."

After the parade, Cheetara retired to our room as I leaned against the balcony in the palace that overlooked all of Thundera. I removed my glove off of my hands, takng the right one of first. Then, I slowly took the left glove off, revealing a huge ugly red burn that I had sustained from holding the Swords of Omens. Then, I called out,

" Kat!"

He appeared before me and I commanded,

" Keep an eye on that Cat that caused so muh trouble today. If he starts doing anything suspicious, bring him to me immediately so he can be dealt with accordingly."

" Yes, your majesty."

Kat left to do his duty, leaving me alone to think.

I finally have everything I could ever want, Cheetara, the crown, and the kingdom. I will not allow any Cat to ruin this for me, especially a Cat who thinks he's Lion-O. It's not possible. Lion-O is dead. After all, I saw it happen.


	7. Pride Part 2

Hi, everyone! Apologies for the long wait. This chapter threw me for a loop. I hope you like it!

Thundercats doesn't belong to me. Cheetalia and Death does.

Enjoy!

Part 6: Pride - Part 2

**Death**

A gleeful chuckle erupted from my lips after I watched the events that unfolded. It's only a matter of time until Lion-O's pride begins to break. This is such an amusing show. Lion-O, what will you do to prove the truth in your words and how will you react when you discover the circumstances behind your presummed demise?

**Lion-O**

I was pulled into the house I woke up in and shivered when I felt ice cold water splash onto my face. A fluffy towel was pressed against my face and wiped away the Candyfruit juice that was in my eyes. My eyes fluttered open and I saw Leoparo cleaning my face. I said with gratitude,

" Thanks for getting me out of there."

" Leo, what were you thinking? Talking to the King in such a disrespectful matter? Have you lost your mind?"

" No, I haven't. I am Lion-O, the true heir to the throne. The question is: how did Tygra get the crown instead of me and why does everyone think I'm dead?"

" Leo, stop this. You're talking nonsense and I refuse to listen to it."

" It's not nonsense! I am the rightful King of Thundara and I will prove it to every Cat in this entire Kingdom!"

Leoparo informed in an astounded tone, " Leo, you are speaking of treason against the King."

I snarled with a response that was filled with malice, " **Tygra is no King**."

Leoparo shook his head at me and stared me down with serious eyes, stating,

" Leo, you are my friend and I will support you in everything you do, but I can't be associated with a Cat who constantly slanders our wonderful King and desires to do treasonous acts in an attempt to dethrone him. If you want to do this, go right ahead, I won't stop you. Know this: if you continue down this path, we will no longer be friends. So, if our friendship means anything to you, please stop this farce and go back to the way you were before."

" Leoparo, you are a good Cat and I am grateful for everything you've done for me, but I'm not " Leo." I may look like him, sound like him, but I am and will always Lion-O. I have to go down this path because this is my Kingdom and I won't let my brother bring Thundara to ruin."

" Then, our friendship is over. Goodbye, Leo. Continue on your fool's errand, but know this: you will fail and when that happens, you will suffer the consequences of your actions."

He turned his back to me and walked away from the house. I cleaned myself up, sat on the bed, and began to think. How can I prove that my words are true? He can touch the Sword of Omens, so my first plan blew up in my face. I need to talk to someone, someone who I know for a fact will believe me. The question is: What Cat here will believe me?

**Death**

Yes, Lion-O, who will believe you or rather, who will I allow to believe you? Let's see, which Cat should I choose? I should choose the one that will make this even more entertaining than it already is. I should choose someone...expendable. An idea sprang into my head and I snapped my fingers with realization. Ah, I've got the perfect candidate. Now, to put it into action..

A small, glowing ball appeared in my hand. I smiled and said, " Let this thought reach your mind, young King." I lightly blew the small ball into the viewing circle and watched the ball enter Lion-O's head. Now, the show must go on..

**Lion-O**

Kit's face popped into my head, making me realize that she was the solution to my problem. She would believe me if I could get the chance to talk to her. There's only one obstacle left: her location. Kit was in the palace and any chance of me just waltzing in there will result in disaster. There was only one thing I could do: sneak in. I searched the house until I found a black hooded cloak to wear, so my identity could be concealed.

**Kat**

Following Tygra's orders, I watched the Cat that called himself " Lion-O ". When I saw him disrespect Tygra like that, I had to keep myself from beating with my staff. How dare he question Tygra and impersonate Lion-O! Lion-O was my friend and his death saddened everyone. I will not let this Cat dishonor his great name. If he does anything suspicious on my watch, I'm bringing him to Tygra and he will get the punishment he deserves.

When day turned into night, the Cat finally decided to come out of his house. He was wearing a dark hooded cloak which made it very hard to see him because he blended in with the darkness. Still, I followed every movement of his with my eyes. He started to walk into the slums of Thundera and I pursued him in turn.

**Lion-O**

I noticed that a Cleric was following me when I strolled into Thundera's slums. I had to do something to evade him, but what? My eyes took in my surroundings around me. Carts were all around me, and each cart had a jar of Thundarian coins on it. Using my stealth to my advantage, I obtained all the coin jars from three carts. The shopkeepers to notice to the missing jars and began to accuse one another, starting a huge argument in the process. In the midst of that, I opened the jars and threw the money high into the air. It started to rain coins, which made every Cat in the area run towards my location.

**Kat**

An enormous number of Cats started to flood the center of the slums in an attempt to get money that had fallen on the ground. This made following the Cat very hard as I found myself smushed between three or four cats. I leaped into the air and used my incredible speed to avoid the crowd. I landed on a rooftop and scanned the area for the Cat's black cloak. When I discovered it, he was running away from the crowds. I jumped into the air once again and targeted that Cat. Using my Flank, I threw it at the Cat's feet. His feet became tied together and I sharply yanked on the rope. The Cat fell to the ground face-first, making numerous coins roll on the ground. I ripped the cloak off of him and was stunned by what I saw.

Underneath the cloak was a female Cat. She had long brown hair and green eyes. Her body was covered in tattered clothing. He must have started the all this to cause a diversion that would allow him to remove his cloak. I apologized for what I did, and pulled her up to her feet. I asked in a questioning matter,

" Where did the Cat go that gave you this?"

She pointed into a dark alleyway and I ran into it immediately afterwards. I followed his tracks in the ground when I felt something entangle my leg, making me trip. I fell on my knees and saw a moving shadow on the ground. Looking up, I saw a barrel falling towards me. My body rolled over on the ground, moving only centimeters away from injury. I stood up and looked into the darkness on the alleyway. There may be more traps, which is something I can't risk. I'll just search him from the rooftops. I bent my knees and leaped into the air. Moments before I landed on the rooftop, the Cat I was tailing appeared right in front of me. His fist slammed into my face, making me disoriented. I began to fall to the ground, but I felt a hand grab my wrist and stop me from falling. The Cat pulled me up and lied me down on the rooftop. I could see him leaning over me until darkness was the only thing I could see.

**Lion-O**

When I took off his headgear, I was surprised to see Kat. Guilt over took me at that very moment. I apologized to his sleeping form,

" I'm sorry for knocking you out, Kat. I'm really sorry for what I'm about to do as well."

I stripped him of his Cleric uniform and switched clothes with him. Donning my new disguise, I made my way into the palace without any problems. The first step is done. The second step is to locate Kit.

**Kit**

I lied on my bed and thought of the previous events that occurred today. Who did that Cat think he was? Also, how can he just stand there and slander Lion-O's name like that? It was disgraceful. Thinking about Lion-O made tears sting my eyes. I missed him so much. It was hard living life without him. He was like the older brother me and Kat never had. While I reminisced about Lion-O, I began to cry silently with grief until slumber took me over.

**Lion-O**

I searched every bedroom of the palace until I finally made it into Kit's room. She was sleeping soundly on her bed as I walked to her side while I took my head gear off. I lightly placed my hand over her mouth, which made Kit's eyes snap open. She looked at me with fearful eyes and I whispered,

" I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. Please, don't scream. I just want to talk to you."

She nodded her head and I removed my hand. At that moment, she shrieked, " GUARDS!"

Oh no. Her foot crashed into my stomach, making me fall on the ground on my knees. She jumped off the bed, flipped, and tried to drop kick me in the head. I raised my arm and blocked her kick. She quickly altered her and smashed her hand on my face, pushing me down to the floor. Kit's hand grabbed my shirt and pulled me up to her level while her fist was cocked back, ready to strike. She said,

" I recognize you. You're the Cat that caused that ruckus during the parade."

Kit's face was filled with rage as her fist sank into my face, causing blood to drip out of my mouth. Her words were filled with malice,

" You insult our King, dishonor Lion-O's name, and have the gall to sneak into my bedroom at night?!"

" I wasn't trying to do anything to you!"

" **LIAR**!"

She punched me again as I opened my mouth to try and explain myself. However, before any words left my mouth, I heard the sound of Cats rushing into the room. Hands grabbed me, pulled me up to my feet, and restrained me from moving. The Palace Guards kept me from moving as one of them questioned,

" What shall we do with him, Lady Cleric?"

" Take him to the cells. I'll send word to King Tygra about what has happened."

Seconds later, I was dragged to the dungeons underneath the castle despite me doing everything in my power to resist. One Guard opened the door to the cell while forceful hands shoved me inside. I fell against the cold, hard, floor while the snickers of the Guards were heard by my ears. I also heard someone coming into the dungeon, which made the Guards immediately start saluting.

Kit came inside and looked at me with narrowed eyes. She turned to the guards and commanded,

" Leave us."

The Guards nodded and scurried away, leaving me all alone with an angry Kit. She declared, " The King will be here soon. He will give you the punishment that you deserve."

" Kit, listen to me!"

" You have nothing of worth to say."

" Yes, I do! Kit, I'm Lion-O!"

Her hand swiftly grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me forward. I could feel the cold bars against my face and trembled beneath her fierce gaze. She hissed with contempt, " **Don't say his name. You don't have the right to**." I was shoved away, which made my back hit the wall. However, this didn't stop me from trying again to convince her. I racked my head, searching for any personal knowledge that I knew about Kit that would convince her that I was telling the truth.

**Kit**

I was about to leave the prisoner, but stopped because his next words struck a chord with me.

" You, Kat, and your two younger siblings lost your father in a tornado. Without him, your mother had to do everything herself and raise you all on her own. Thinking that it was for the best, you and Kat ran away from home and started living out on the streets, doing anything in your power to survive. You stole money, food, and anything that was necessary for you to live."

I turned my head towards him and shot him a questioning look. How did he know all of that?

**Lion-O**

She looked at me with confusion in her eyes, which made a spark of hope ignite inside of me. That spark was extinguished after she snorted and said,

" Someone must have told you our story. King Tygra does tell of our origins at dinner banquets."

Irritation began to enflame within me. She still didn't believe me after I said all of that?! She started to walk away when I thought of one more thing I could do.

**Kit**

I passed Tygra as he was on his way to see the prisoner when I heard the prisoner start to whistle. I rolled my eyes and began to ignore it when I noticed something. The melody of his whistling sounded just like...my mother's lullaby. That's something only Lion-O, Cheetara, Kat, Panthro, and Tygra know. That is something that is too personal to be told around. The others haven't told anyone about it, so...

My eyes widened in shock with the realization. No way, it...it can't be...

I found myself running back to the dungeons, but stopped when I heard them talking amongst themselves. It sounded like they were arguing. I hid beneath a secret passage and listened to their conversation.

**Lion-O**

When Tygra walked in, I felt nothing but fury towards him. He looked at me with disgusted eyes and asked,

" How did you get into my palace?"

" That is none of your concern, considering the palace does not belong to you."

" It does belong to me, because I am King. A fact that you can't accept."

" You may hold the crown, but you are no King."

That made Tygra angry which made him scream,

" I am the King!"

" No, you're not! The true King isn't you and you know it!"

He reached into the cell, grabbed my throat, and slowly started to squeeze it. My ability to gain oxygen started to decrease as he declared with a cold tone,

" I am the true King. Lion-O was King once, but he's dead."

" He's not dead. He's me!"

" You're wrong! He is dead! I saw it happen! **I MADE IT HAPPEN!**"

I looked at him with stunned eyes and questioned in disbelief,

" You...made...it...happen?"

" Yes, I killed Lion-O!"

" W-Why would you even-"

" **He didn't deserve it!**"

**Tygra**

I continued on a furious rant,

" **He didn't deserve anything that he had! It was just given to him! He didn't work hard for it!** He stole everything from me: my mother, my kingdom, and my crown. He was about to steal the affections of my mate, and I just couldn't let him take anything else away from me. So, I ended his life right after he returned from the Astral Plane after his battle with Mumm-Ra."

I recomposed myself and added,

" Lion-O was never fit to be King. He was a dreamer and always had his head in the clouds. He could have never handled all the responsibilities of being a King. Everyone thought that I was the better candidate, including our Father. In a way, I did him a kindness."

" If Lion-O was really dead, then, why does the Sword of Omens burn you when you touch it?"

" It doesn't burn me!"

" Then, how do you explain the burn that you got on your hand?"

My other hand covered my injury as we heard someone come in. A Guard came in, holding a covered blade in his hands, saying,

" Your Majesty, the Sword of Omens has been polished, just like you ordered."

" Thank you. Take it to my bedroom."

" As you wish."

Suddenly, the Sword started to shake violently, scaring the Guard. Astonishment covered my face as the blade levitated into the air. Then, it zoomed towards the prisoner, handle-first, and almost went through the bars. I stopped that by grabbing the blade and pulled it away from the prisoner, despite the overwhelming pain and resistance the Sword gave me.

I was able to overcome the Sword's power and gave it to the Guard, ordering in a painful hiss,

" Get out of here."

The Guard ran away from us as quickly as he could, leaving me and the prisoner alone. I looked at the prisoner's face with a puzzled expression. The Sword responded to his close presence and went straight towards him. That means...

I finished the statement in complete disbelief,

" You...are...Lion-O."

**Lion-O**

At that moment, Tygra began to panic. He started to pace back and forth, saying in a nervous tone,

" No! This isn't possible! This shouldn't be happening! You are supposed to be dead..., but you're not. You are here, alive, standing right before me. This will ruin everything! Unless..."

He looked at me with devious eyes and screamed,

" GUARDS!"

Three Guards rushed to his side and announced,

" Let my words be known across Thundara. There is going to be an execution at dawn. The Cat that is besmirched me and my younger brother's name shall be beheaded for treason against the crown."

I screamed in outrage while the guards left after Tygra's command,

" You can't do this! You can't!"

" I believe I can. I am the King, I can do what I want, whenever I want. Everyone believes you're dead, so I'll just make that a reality since I failed in the past."

Something bashed against Tygra's head, which caused him to hold his head in agony and dropped to his knees. To my surprise, Kit was standing behind him with a look of extreme anger on her face. Tygra asked weakly,

" Kit, why...why did you..."

" You tried to kill Lion-O, our friend. You deceived us for so long and made us believe he was gone forever. Now, that I know he's alive and well, I won't let you take him from me, or anyone else again."

She ripped the keys away from Tygra's robe and unlocked my cell. Her hand found mine and we ran out of the dungeons and began to flee the palace.

I could hear Tygra painfully shrieking, " Guards! Clerics! Get them!"

Minutes later, a massive horde of Guards and Clerics began to chase after us. The Clerics were quickly gaining on us when Kit decided to make a move. She pushed me forward and held her staff out. The staff expanded and collided with a few of the Clerics, knocking them backwards. She began to fight them off and screamed,

" Lion-O, run!"

" No, Kit! I'm not leaving you to fight them alone!"

" Lion-O...please..."

I couldn't speak a single word as she started to plead sullenly,

" Lion-O, I'm sorry for not believing you at first. The time I spent grieving over you was painful. I endured many sleepless nights and cried myself to sleep because I couldn't accept the fact that you were truly gone. You have no idea how happy it makes me to see you alive. I don't want you to die for real this time, I won't be able to bear it. So, please, run. Just run."

Painfully, I tore my gaze away from her and swore,

" Kit, I will return for you and set things right."

After those words left my mouth, I ran away from them all.

**Tygra**

After the pain in my head ceased, two Palace Guards approached me, dragging an injured Kit into my presence. Cuts and bruises were all over her body. Blood was seeping out of her as they threw her on the ground in front of me. I questioned, highly dissatisfied that they didn't catch them both,

" Where is the prisoner?"

" He's escaped."

Kit laughed gleefully and commented, " Enjoy your last moments as King, Tygra, because the true King is coming. Lion-O will ascend and take his rightful place as King and for your sake, you better pray that he is merciful towards you."

My fists were clenched in rage when one of the Guards asked,

" Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

" Change the announcement. Tell the people of Thundara that there will be an execution for a Cat who committed treason against the crown."

" Sire, you don't mean..."

" Yes, I do. Kit will be beheaded before the eyes of the Kingdom."

I took relish from seeing the bewilderment on her face. She screamed,

" You can't kill me! I'm a Cleric!"

" So?"

" How will you explain this to Kat?"

" Kat will get over it. Get her out of my sight."

The Guards dragged her away, while she shrieked,

" Lion-O will stop you! He will expose you for what you truly are! You monster! Fraud! **COLD BLOODED MURDERER**!"

Kit has to die now. There is no other alternative. She knows too much. Now, Lion-O must be taken care of. I snapped my fingers and a Cleric appeared in front of me. He bowed and I stated,

" Inform all the Clerics of these orders: Search for the prisoner and kill him on the spot. If anyone tries to help him, kill them as well."

He nodded and vanished from my sight. The thought of killing Kit unsettled me a little, but I shrugged it off. I have to keep my secret safe, no matter what.

After all, I've gained so much and won't lose it all because two Cats decided to get in my way.


	8. Pride Part 3

Hi, everyone! I have an announcement to make:

Lion-O's first lesson will be coming to an end in the next chapter, which means Cheetara is going to have to her second lesson. However, I'm going to let you choose what that lesson is going to be.

On my profile, there is a poll that is called, " What should Cheetara's next lesson be?" You have a total of four choices to choose from.

The poll will remain open until the day I post the next chapter, so you have plenty of time to cast in your vote.

Now that I've told you that important information, it's time for the chapter to begin!

Enjoy!

Thundercats doesn't belong to me. Cheetalia and Death does.

Part 7: Pride - Part 3

**Lion-O**

My face was drenched from perspiration as I fled into the crowded markets of Thundera. My eyes darted in all directions in search for any Palace Guards or Clerics that may have followed me here. Fear filled me up from the inside when I heard someone shout,

" There he is!"

I started to run as fast as I could in order to escape them. Suddenly, a sharp piercing pain filled my leg as I felt something pierce through my flesh. This caused me to fall on the ground, face first. I could taste dirt in my mouth as I found standing up again very difficult. My hand grasped the arrow tightly and pulled it out of my leg, making me hiss in pain. With my remaining strength, I began to limp away from my pursuers, only to for ropes to restrain my legs and arms and pull me to the ground.

I growled in anger as my captor looked approached me. It turned out to be a Palace Guard. He unsheathed a knife and knelt down to me. The blade was pressed against my neck and I heard him state coldly, " Die." He was about to slice my neck open, but prevented to do so because he went flying away from me when a Cat lunged at him.

It took me a moment to realize that the Cat that saved my life was Leoparo. His fist sank into the Guard's face over and over again until the Guard slipped into unconsciousness. Then, he noticed other Guards running towards him. He pulled out a small black ball and threw it on the ground, making smoke appear out of nowhere. I couldn't see anything in the smoke when I felt a hand grab my arm and pull me away from the Guards and Clerics.

We ran until we reached his house. He took me inside and made me sit down, saying,

" Don't worry. We'll should be safe here, for a little while at least. It would be wise for you to not go back to your barn."

He started tending to my wound when I asked him,

" Why are you helping me?"

" I find it strange that the King would go so far, just to silence you. He never does this for any ordinary miscreant. All this made me realize that there might be some truth to your words. So, I will help you in your endeavor, no matter how foolish or dangerous it is."

This made a smile grace my lips and I gave him my gratitude,

" Thanks, Leoparo."

" You're welcome, Leo...no...Prince Lion-O."

He finished mending my leg and informed,

" You should stay here and rest for the night."

" Thanks, I'll do that. I'll need my strength for tomorrow, since I'm going to rescue Kit."

" Kit? Are you talking about Lady Kit, the Cleric?"

" Yes..."

" Your Majesty, there is no way you'll be able to save her."

" Leoparo, what are you talking about? Of course, I'm going to save Kit!"

His next words made my blood turn ice cold,

" You won't be able to save her because she's going to be executed tomorrow at dawn for committing treason against the crown."

I felt the flames of fury ignite within me. Tygra was killing to end Kit's life, just to keep his secret safe? This is between me and him! I won't let Kit die because of this! I exclaimed with determination,

" We'll save her tonight!"

Leoparo looked at me as if I had lost my mind completely. He yelled,

" Are you nuts? King Tygra has Guards and Clerics hunting for you, ready to kill!"

" I don't care! I'm not going to let Kit die!"

I stood up, despite my pain, and began to walk out of his house. Turning back to face him once again, I said,

" You have my thanks for everything you've done, but I will put my life on the line to keep Kit safe. She risked her life to get me out of imprisonment and I promised that I would go back for her."

" Well, you won't be going alone."

He went into his closet and pulled out two pairs of crossbows and a couple of smoke bombs. Leoparo said,

" Let's go save Lady Kit."

**Kat**

When I heard about Kit's execution, the first thing I did was storm into Tygra's room, screaming,

" Tygra! You have some explaining to do!"

Tygra looked at me with narrowed eyes and informed,

" Kat, we may be friends, but I am still your King and you will not speak to me so informally."

" Tygra, I could care less about how you want to be spoken to. Tell me why you sentenced Kit to execution!"

He sighed and explained,

" She helped a prisoner escape from imprisonment, the Cat that you were observing earlier tonight."

" That's a lie! She would never do such a thing!"

" Believe what you want, Kat. It's not my fault that you are blind to the truth. Now, leave. I have some important things that I must attend to."

I growled and reluctantly left Tygra alone in his room. This doesn't make any sense. There's no way Kit would do something like that! She wouldn't...

Still, whatever the case is, Tygra has sentenced her to die. I'm not going to let him kill my sister. I'll free her and we'll run...run far away from Thundera.

**Kit**

I sat in my cell, curled into a little ball. My face rested on my arms as I glanced at the window. Tommorow, Tygra will kill me. He actually will end my life without a second thought. The mere thought of death terrified me. I started to tremble with fear as images of my head being chopped off filled my mind. The fact the Tygra was my executioner angered me. After everything we've been through together, he, not only lied to everyone, but he also killed his own brother. He did all of this...just to become King? He was always jealous of Lion-O, but I never believed that he would resort to murder just to get what he desires.

My thoughts drifted to Lion-O and I wondered how he was doing. His last words to me echoed in my head,

" _Kit, I'll come back for you and set things right._"

Part of me wanted him to come back and save me from certain death. However, the other part of me wanted him to stay far away from me for his own safety. If he came back and tried to free me, Tygra would only kill him on the spot. Still, I have faith that Lion-O will keep to his word. He'll save me and reclaim his throne. My train of thought was interrupted when I heard footsteps coming toward me. I looked up to see a tired Kat and looked at him with astonishment. I began to ask,

" Kat, what are you-"

" I'm getting you out of here."

He took out a knife and raised it to destroy the lock to the cell door. I screamed, " No, don't!", making him stop and look at me strangely. He exclaimed,

" Kit, I'm trying to save you!"

" I know, but you can't...you mustn't..."

I could hear the fear and anger in his voice as he screamed,

" Kit, Tygra's planning on killing you! You have to get out of here!"

" If I escape, Tygra is going to know that you set me free. He'll punish you along with me if we're caught."

" We won't get caught! We'll run far away from Thundera! We'll travel to El Dara and live there! As long as we're together, I don't care where we go."

" Kat..."

Tears stung his eyes and pain laced his voice while he said,

" Kit, you're my sister and the only family I have left. I can't just watch you die. If you die, I'll be all alone in this world."

I felt sad when I saw Kat in such a state of vulnerability. It almost made me cry as well. I attempted to comfort him by stating in a positive tone,

" Kat, you don't have to worry. Lion-O will come save me and make everything better."

His face portrayed shock and then he asked in utter disbelief,

" You actually believe what that outcast said?"

" I didn't at first, but now I do."

" Kit...Lion-O isn't coming back."

" Lion-O is alive! In fact, the Cat that spoke against Tygra is Lion-O!"

" Don't tell me you believe his words of lunacy."

" They are not words of lunacy! I talked to him. He knows things about our past."

" Tygra tells our story to many guests during banquets. I don't see ho-"

" Kat, he knows the melody of mother's lullaby."

There was confusion on his face after I said that, which caused me to explain,

" Listen to me. Tygra has been lying to everyone. He said that Lion-O died, but he was the one that killed Lion-O. I found out and he's planning on killing me to keep his secret safe. He's sent Guards and Clerics across the kingdom to kill Lion-O in order to prevent him from ."

" Kit...I...don't..."

" Do you think I'm lying to you?"

" No, but..."

Our ears perked up when we heard Tygra's voice echoing down the hallway. He was coming. I said quickly, " Kat, go! Go now!" He shot me a pained look before he ran away from me to evade Tygra.

**Kat**

I successfully evaded Tygra, having conflicting thoughts. Kit actually believed what that Cat said. She desperately believed his words. As a result of that belief, she's stuck in the situation she is now. I could still hear her words in my mind,

" _Kat, he knows the melody of mother's lullaby._"

Not everyone knows that song or who sang it. If that Cat knows about it, then, it's possible that he may be telling the truth. I need to look into this.

**Panthro**

My sword clashed against my opponent's, making the Cat lose his balance temporarily. A smirk formed on my face as I moved back slightly and sunk the handle of my blade into my opponent's stomach. He gasped in pain and crashed to the ground, holding his stomach in pain. I ordered,

" Get up."

The Cat did as I commanded and shot up to his feet. He winced in pain while I gave him another order,

" Join the rest of the class."

The Cat bowed and joined the rest of his peers as I stated, " Never let your stance be broken. You must do everything in your power to hold your ground. If you don't, you leave yourself open for an attack."

I heard three knocks on the door and turned around to see Kat. I announced, " Dismissed!."

All the Cats saluted me and left the room. I put down my weapon and heard Kat ask,

" How are the new recruits?"

" They're not bad, but they aren't ready to join the Thunderian Army just yet. However, I don't think that's why you want to see me."

" I need your help."

" With what?"

" I'm sure you heard about Kit's execution."

" Yes, are you suggesting that we break her out of prison?"

" She doesn't want to be rescued. She believes Lion-O will save her."

Hearing Lion-O's name made me feel a pang of sadness. I shook it off by saying,

" Lion-O's dead and gone. We all know that."

" I know. That's what I said, but she believes that Lion-O is the Cat that spoke against Tygra."

" That's nonsense."

" That's what I thought, but she said something that made me start to reconsider that thought."

" What did she say?"

" She said that he knew our mother's lullaby."

I raised an eyebrow in response to this while I questioned,

" Do you believe her?"

" I don't think she's lying, but I don't fully believe her just yet. The events that have occurred recently has made me question some of Tygra's actions. First, he sends the Clerics and Guards to kill one Cat. Now, he's sentencing Kit to execution for allegedly helping the Cat escape from imprisonment. It all just doesn't make sense."

" He's been acting strange as of late."

" That's exactly why I need you to help me."

He threw a little clear bottle at me and I caught it easily. I looked at it and saw that the bottle was full of clear liquid. Kat explained,

" Give Tygra his evening drink tonight. Slip that into his goblet and make sure he drinks every drop. The potion is tasteless and odorless, so he won't discover a change."

" What will this do to him?"

" It will open up his mind to me. I'll be able to see into his thoughts and memories. This way, I can see if Tygra is telling the truth or deceiving us all. Will you do it?"

" Yes."

**Tygra**

I laid in my bed while my thoughts of Kit and Lion-O plagued my mind. Kit is going to be executed tomorrow, which relieved me. Her death will mean that her lips will remain silent forever. My main concern was Lion-O. I haven't received any clarification on his condition yet. Wy is it taking so long to kill him? I heard knocks on my door and I ordered,

" Enter. "

Panthro came in with two goblets and said, " Here, Your Majesty. I thought you might want a drink, considering everything you've had to deal with recently."

I gladly took the goblet out of his hand and said, " Thanks, Panthro."

I took a sip and relished the sweet flavor of the juice as it went down my throat. Panthro drank out of his own goblet and said,

" I've heard that you plan on executing Kit."

" You heard right."

" My King, what exactly did she do in order to receive a punishment as severe as execution?"

" She turned against me and assisted in helping an imprisoned Cat escape. That Cat is a danger to the Kingdom. For putting this kingdom in jeopardy, I will pass righteous judgment onto her by taking her life away."

**Panthro**

The tone that Tygra used when he said those words sent chills down my spine. He was perfectly okay with killing Kit and would probably feel no remorse about it afterwards. Tygra looked at me and his eyes showed a hint of anger. He asked, " Do you think I'm doing the wrong thing?" His eyes flashed with more anger as he asked me another question, " Do you plan to stop me?"

I shook my head and answered, " No, my King. It is not my duty to question you."

**Kat**

I waited patiently in my room for Panthro to come and tell me that the deed was done. I jumped slightly when I heard knocks on the door. I opened it and let Panthro come inside. He stated, " It's done. Tygra drank the potion, every last drop."

I nodded and said,

" Okay, the potion should last for about half an hour. "

" How is this exactly going to work?"

" I'm going to use magic in order to allow my mind to leave my body and enter Tygra's memories."

I held up an hourglass and said,

" If I try to stay in his memories longer than thirty minutes, the potion will wear off and he will become aware that I am trying to probe his mind."

" What happens then?"

" He will try to resist me. We all know that Tygra's will is strong. His will will destroy my mind and I'll never make it back to my body. I'll just be an empty shell."

I saw Panthro becoming angry and which made me add,

" This is why you'll be here."

" What?"

" I'm able to feel exterior forces, even though I won't be in my body. For example, I can feel pain. If I try and stay for longer than half an hour, cause me pain so my mind will be reeled back into my body from the shock. Understood?"

Panthro had a reluctant look on his face which made me input,

" Panthro, this is the only way we'll be able to see if Tygra is telling us the whole story. We need to know if he killed off Lion-O. If he didn't, then, it's our job to make sure we find him and help him take his rightful place as King. If you don't want to be here, you don't have to. I'll understand."

" No, I'm sticking around to make sure you come back in one piece."

A smile graced my lips and I gave him my gratitude, " Thanks, Panthro."

After those words left my mouth, I tipped the hourglass over, closed my eyes and concentrated. The magic started to take effect as I felt my mind separate from my body and slowly enter Tygra's mind. When my mind was fully inside of his, I opened my eyes. I found myself looking at Kit, Cheetara, Tygra, Lion-O, and myself. We were all standing in front of the entry to the Astral Plane at Aburn's village.

Nostalgia and sadness overwhelmed me all at once. I remember this day. This was the day that Lion-O and Mumm-Ra faced off for the final time.

This was also the day that Tygra carried Lion-O's body out of the Astral Plane and told us that he was gone forever.


	9. Pride Part 4

Hi, everyone! As promised, this is the final part of Lion-O's first test.

Also, the poll is now closed. You can look at the results on my profile or wait until I post the next chapter.

Enjoy!

TC doesn't no belong to me.

Part 8: Pride - Part 4

**Kat**

I cast my emotions aside and focused on the task at hand. I had to find out the truth and being sentimental isn't going to aid me in any way. My eyes watched as Lion-O raised up the Sword of Omens and opened a portal into the Astral Plane. He turned to the group and announced, " This is it. This will be the final battle against Mumm-Ra. After today, Thundera and all of the animals will be able to live in peace once again."

Kit and my younger self grasped our weapons tightly and took one step forward towards the portal, only to be stopped by Lion-O. He said,

" You can't come with me this time."

Kit questioned in concern,

" Why not?"

" I have to settle this alone."

I watched myself scream back, " You can't do this alone! You may be strong, but Mumm-Ra is really tough! You'll need our help!"

Cheetara placed her hands on both of our shoulders and stated, " Lion-O is capable enough to defeat Mumm-Ra without our assistance. He has all the stones in his possession. He has more than enough strength to take Mumm-Ra on."

I saw Kit and I reluctantly put our weapons away and look at Lion-O with sad eyes. He knelt to our level and patted our heads, saying words of comfort, " Don't worry. I'll be back soon."

I felt a pang of sadness as my eyes viewed Lion-O getting hugged by me and my sister. He returned our hug and let us go. He looked and Panthro who said,

" Good luck, kid. Take Mumm-Ra down."

He nodded in response and placed a hand on his shoulder, stating, " It's been an honor to fight alongside you."

Cheetara stepped up and gave Lion-O a worried look. He stated, " Don't worry, Cheetara. I'll be fine." Cheetara wrapped her arms around him and replied, " I believe in you, Lion-O. Come back to us in one piece." Her lips pressed against his cheek for a brief moment before she backed away to Tygra's side. I noticed the that her action caused Tygra to express a look of jealousy for a brief moment. It disappeared when Lion-O looked at him and said,

" Tygra, I know we didn't see eye to eye at times and had our differences over the years, but I am proud to have you as a brother."

" Despite everything that has happened between us, I wouldn't change it for anything. I'm glad I got to have you as a little brother."

They hugged for a second, before Lion-O prepared himself to enter the portal. However, he said these words to Tygra before leaving,

" If anything happens to me, promise me that you will be a good King and take good care of everyone."

" I promise."

He walked into the Astral Plane, leaving the group behind. After some time passed, Cheetara grabbed her staff and walked toward the portal. Tygra grabbed her arm and pulled her back, which caused her to rip her arm out of his grip. Tygra yelled,

" Cheetara, what in the name of Third Earth do you think you're doing?"

" I'm worried about Lion-O. I'm going to go in and see if he's alright."

" Are you insane?! If you go in there, you'll die!"

" I'm not going to interfere in the battle, Tygra, but I have to see if Lion-O's okay."

" Cheetara..."

" Not only that, Lion-O...he...he means a lot to me. I care deeply for him."

This caused Tygra's face to become red with rage and he demanded answers from Cheetara,

" Does he mean more to you than I do?"

" What?"

" Do you love him?"

" Tygra, why are you..."

His hands grasped her shoulders tightly, causing her to wince in pain. He yelled loudly, " **ANSWER THE QUESTION!**"

Cheetara looked at him with fright her eyes and hesitated in answering because of it. Then, she composed herself and answered,

" No."

Tygra looked at her with disbelief for a moment and let her go, saying, " Ok. I believe you and you're right, he has been in there too long." He grabbed a knife and declared, " I'll go after him and see if he's okay." Tygra walked towards the portal, turned his head back, and stated,

" I won't be gone long."

" Be careful."

He nodded and walked into the Astral Plane, taking me along with him. Inside the Astral Plane, we saw a figure walking towards us, donned in armor that was the color of the sun. The Cat carried the Sword of Omens with him, which made me feel relief. Lion-O was okay, for the moment. Tygra started to ask,

" So, did you..."

" Yes, I defeated him. Mumm-Ra is no more."

His armor disappeared from his body in the form of fleeting golden balls of light. All that remained was the Sword of Omens and the gauntlet on his arm. Lion-O put the Sword of Omens back in the gauntlet and started to slowly fall forward. Tygra caught him in his arms and he questioned,

" Are you alright?"

Lion-O closed his eyes and answered,

" Tygra, I'm so tired. I need a good, long rest."

My eyes widened in horror as I saw Tygra remove one of the arms that held Lion-O to gain access to the knife he was carrying. No! Tygra commented while raising the knife above Lion-O's back, " Yes, I agree. You need rest. So, I think it's best that you have a nice, long, eternal rest."

Lion-O looked at him with confusion and one second later, Tygra plunged to knife deep into Lion-O's back, making him scream in agony. The knife was ripped out of his back and pushed Lion-O away, slicing him in the front. Lion-O fell to the ground, gasping in pain and loosing large amounts of blood by the second.

This was painful for me to watch as angry and sad tears ran down my face. I yearned to do something to end Lion-O's suffering, but I couldn't do anything about it. I was also angry because of what Tygra was doing. He told us that Lion-O died, because he did tried to do it.

I was ripped out of my thoughts by the sound of a weak Lion-O saying Tygra's name. His eyes showed the one question that he wanted to ask: Tygra, why are you doing this? Tygra knelt down and said to Lion-O, " Don't worry. I'll be a better King than you ever were. I'll take good care of everyone, especially Cheetara. Now, good night, sweet prince."

He impaled Lion-O one last time, making him lose consciousness. Tygra smirked with victory at his evil deed and cleaned his blade of Lion-O's blood. Then, he carried Lion-O's body away, bridal style, out of the portal and plastered an expression of sadness on his face. He brought him out of the portal in his current state, shocking everyone in the group. Cheetara began to ask with a hint of shock in her voice,

" Is he..."

" No, Cheetara. Lion-O...Lion-O is dead. He was slain in battle."

I tore my gaze away from the group as my past self and the others comforted Tygra and grieved for Lion-O.

I longed to strangle Tygra until he couldn't breathe. He was lying straight to our faces and we believed him for so many years! Words could not express how angry I felt right now.

Suddenly, I felt severe pain explode in my head. The intense agony made me wince as I looked at my hand. My eyes widened in horror as I saw my spirit form start to disappear. Time can't be up! It can't be! I felt more explosions in my head as the images that I were watching started to change. I can't leave...not yet...I have to see if Lion-O is still alive!

**Panthro**

The hourglass ran out and I saw Kat's body start to shake violently as if he were possessed by some malevolent spirit. A moment of panic took me over before Kat's words echoed in my mind: _If I try and stay for longer than half an hour, cause me pain so my mind will be reeled back into my body from the shock. _I clenched my fist and muttered, " Sorry about this, kid."

**Kat**

Half of my spirt form was gone, but I didn't care. I was determined to see if Kit's word held truth to them. I dug deeper and deeper through Tygra's mind until I saw one particular memory. Tygra was conversing with the prisoner with the Sword of Omens by his side. Then, the Sword started to move on its own. It levitated itself into the air and sped towards the prisoner, only to be stopped by Tygra's hand. The Sword resisted Tygra, causing him a great deal of pain. However, Tygra was stronger than the Sword and gave it to the guard, banishing him from sight.

I felt myself disappearing more and more until only my face was left. The last thing I heard was Tygra saying the words in shock, " You...are...Lion-O." One second after that, I felt something smash into my face.

**Panthro**

My fist slammed into Kat's face, making blood drip out of his mouth and his body to crash onto the floor. His eyes snapped open and his chest started to rise up and down in rapid pace. He sat up and rubbed his left cheek, which was now beginning to swell because of the affliction. I sighed and stated,

" Don't scare me like that ever again, kid."

" Sorry, Panthro."

" What did you learn?"

" I learned that Kit's right about everything. Tygra lied to us all. Lion-O really is alive. Not only that, he tried to kill Lion-O, which started this whole thing."

Shock overwhelmed me as well as betrayal. Tygra...tried to kill Lion-O? The memory of Tygra carrying Lion-O's corpse came rushing back to me, making me clench my fists in anger. He...He just stood there, crying and grieving like the rest of us. We must have looked like fools in front of him. How could I have been so blind?! Kat inputed,

" Panthro, Kit has to be saved. Then, Lion-O must be found. After that, we'll take care of Tygra."

" Right."

However, moments after we left out of the room, we found ourselves surrounded by Guards. Tygra was standing near them with an evil look on his face. The last thing I remember before we were attacked was, " Get them."

**Lion-O**

Leoparo and I stalked the streets of Thundera, armed with weapons and dressed in cloaks the color of the night. We used a secret entrance that led us to the tunnels that were underneath the kingdom. I lit a torch, which provided us light in the darkness. After going down a couple of tunnels, we reached our entrance into the dungeon that was covered by a stone circle. We loaded our crossbows and I looked at Leoparo, asking,

" Ready?"

" Yes, my King."

I pushed against the stone circle, lifting it up slightly and pushing it away. Leoparo climbed into the Palace dungeons, with me doing so seconds later. I gasped in disbelief when I saw that Kit's prison cell was completely empty. Leoparo asked,

" Is it possible that Lady Kit escaped?"

" Maybe, but I doubt that's what happened. She must have been moved to another location, preferably with more security."

" What do we do now?"

" We keep searching until we find her."

**Kat**

Panthro and I found ourselves in the captivity of the Guards. We were handcuffed and dragged along the hallways while I demanded answers from Tygra,

" Where are you taking us?"

" I'm taking you to see your sister."

We walked into another room where I saw a weakened Kit chained to the wall. Blood was dripping down her arms and her chest was slowly rising and falling. I tried to run to her, screaming, " Kit!" However, the chains that were attached to my handcuffs were yanked sharply by Tygra, making me fall face first on the ground. Tygra chuckled and teased,

" Naughty, naughty."

I hissed in rage,

" What are you planning to do with us?!"

" Nothing. If I were you, I'd be more concerned about what you are going to do for me."

" I'll do nothing for you! Do you hear me? Nothing!"

" Okay, if you don't do as I say, I'll have to do resort to Plan B."

Tygra pulled a knife out and placed it against Kit's neck. Slowly, he applied pressure to and pressed the knife against Kit's skin. The blade started to cut her as Kit's screams of agonizing pain echoed throughout the room. Her screams felt like a thousand knives piercing into my skull. I screamed in anguish,

" **STOP! I'll DO IT**!"

Tygra stopped cutting Kit and raised an eyebrow at me. I declared with a tone of sadness and anger,

" I'll...do...whatever...you...say."

Panthro was chained to the wall next to Kit as Tygra said, " Good. Now, follow my instructions."

**Lion-O**

We began our search for Kit while moving stealthily through the corridors. Eventually, we made it out of the dungeons and into the hallways of the palace. Every room was being checked as we moved down the hallways. After checking the last room, we were about to turn the corner when I heard the slightest noise of movement. I grabbed Leoparo and slammed him against the wall, putting my finger to my lips. He nodded and held his crossbow tightly against him. I did the same and turned the corner rapidly, aiming the crossbow at the Cat who I heard move. I lowered my weapon, saying,

" Hello, Kat."

**Leoparo**

I heard his majesty converse with a Cleric in a friendly manner, so I lowered my weapon and faced him. Lion-O introduced me to him,

" Leoparo, this is Kat, an old friend of mine."

I greeted him and he greeted me in turn. However, I noticed a hint of tension in his voice, like he wanted to tell us something, but didn't. What was stopping him? My thoughts were cast aside when Lion-O asked,

" Do you know where they took Kit?"

" Yes, I do. I'll take you to her."

We followed him to the location of Lady Kit when I heard Kat's voice in my head.

_Can you hear me?_

Yes, but how can I-

_I'm using magic to establish a psychic link to your mind._

Can His Majesty hear us as well?

_No. Listen, I'm leading you into a trap._

WHAT? Why would you-

_Tygra is threatening my sister's life. If I don't do this, he will hurt her. However, there is something you can do._

What would that be?

_I need you to three things for me._

**Lion-O**

Without a word, Leoparo ran down another hallway, making me call his name. I started to run after him, but Kat pulled me back, saying,

" Lion-O, I read his mind. He's going to try and find another escape route if the first one gets compromised."

" Then, why didn't he just..."

" Does it matter? Let's go."

He pulled me along and we entered a room to see an imprisoned Kit and Panthro. I ran to Kit first and attempted to free her, saying, " Kit, can you hear me?" She weakly opened her eyes and questioned,

" L-Lion-O?"

" Hey..it's me..."

" R-Run..."

" Run, why?"

My blood ran cold when I heard the next word out of her mouth:

" Trap..."

**Kat**

When the Guards rushed in and pointed their spears at Lion-O, I felt extreme guilt wash over me. Lion-O snarled in anger, " Kat, you lied to me!" Tears stung my eyes and I was about to tell him the truth, but Tygra cut in, doing it for me,

" Don't blame Kat. I forced him to do it."

Lion-O's eyes showed fierce hatred when Tygra made his appearance. He had a cruel smile on his face as the guards forced Lion-O onto his knees, bounding his arms and legs. Then, he was kicked onto his back. Tygra unsheathed a blade and stood over Lion-O. Guards grabbed me and forced me to the ground, despite all my efforts to resist. Tygra held the sword in a vertical position and attempted to plunge the blade into Lion-O. However, an arrow zoomed toward him and hit his hand, knocking the sword out of his hand. The arrow pierced Tygra's skin, making him roar in pain.

Suddenly, three more arrows hit the guards that were holding me down. I was able to break loose from them and call out Leoparo's name. He nodded and threw me a brown bag and I yelled, " Rankin Bass!" I caught the bag and covered Lion-O in it, making him fall into the contents of the bag. Tygra screamed,

" Kill them!"

I grabbed a fallen Guard's spear and held my own against the Clerics while Leoparo freed Kit and Panthro. Kit was put into the bag while Panthro fought alongside me. Panthro said,

" Go, kid. Make sure Kit and Lion-O get out of here in one piece."

" Are you sure?"

" Yeah, go."

Reluctantly, I grabbed the Forever Bag and ran away as fast as I possibly could. However, I felt a sharp pain in my knees and I fell straight to the ground. I saw that two arrows went through the back of my legs where my knees were located. I ripped both of the out, ignoring the pain. I tried to run, but it was too difficult. All I could really do was limp. I was about to fall to the ground once again, but I felt warm arms keep me up. I turned my head to see Leoparo supporting me. Then, the sounds of Guards pursuing us entered my ears. I shoved Leoparo away as a spear came flying towards us. It hit me in the side, causing me immense agony. I pulled it out and said, " Give me the weapon."

Leoparo did as I asked and gave me the sword I asked him to get. I touched it and used magic to put my memories into the Sword. He questioned,

" What are you doing?"

" Putting my memories into the blade's gem. That way, Lion-O can access them to prove that he's telling the truth if he needs to."

Next, I gave another commanded,

" Give me your crossbow."

Leoparo handed it to me and asked,

" What are you going to do?"

" Buy you some time to get out of here safely."

I tossed him the Forever Bag. He caught it, screaming frantically, " Lord Kit, you can't take them all on at once! You'll die!"

I smiled ruefully at him and requested something from Leoparo, " Give Lion-O and Kit my regards."

After saying those last words, I ran towards the Guards to give one final stand.

**Leoparo**

It was painful for me to watch Lord Kat fight a battle that he knew he was going to lose. While I was running away, I could hear his screams of pain. However, all that changed with I heard a loud THUMP. I turned my head to see Lord Kat with multiple spear and arrow wounds lying in a pool of his own blood. Seeing that made me become fearful of the Guards and run even faster than I already was. Eventually, I made it outside and became camouflaged in the darkness.

**Lion-O**

I sat in the darkness of the Forever Bag, holding a weak Kit, until I heard the words: " Rankin Bass ". Kit and I were pushed out of the bag and landed in on the floor in a hut that was unfamiliar to me. Leoparo started to tend to Kit's wounds as I asked,

" Leoparo, where's Kat?"

He remained silent and I grabbed him by the shoulders and asked again in a louder tone,

" **Where is Kat?**"

Leoparo tore his gaze away from me, closing his eyes. He didn't need to say anything for me to understand what had happened to Kat. Kit began to sob and tears fell down my face as well. I pulled Kit into a hug and she grasped me tightly, screaming, " Kat! Why? Why did Kat have to die? WHY?" I felt myself being plunged into sadness and despair. Kat was dead and it's all my fault.

Suddenly, I felt warmth hit my face because of the sun's light. It was dawn...the execution! I let go of Kit and headed for the door. Leoparo saw what I was doing and asked,

" Your majesty, what are you doing?"

" I'm going to stop Tygra, once and for all."

" Then, I'll go too."

" No, you stay here. I'm doing this alone. Besides, you have to take care of Kit."

" Then, take this."

He reached into the bag and pulled out the Sword of Omens, throwing it to me. I caught it and his last words to me were:

" Reclaim your throne, Your Majesty. Kat's memories are in that blade. Use them if the need arises."

I nodded and left the hut, bearing the Sword of Omens in my hand.

It didn't take me long to reach the Palace grounds where there was an execution going on. However, Panthro was about to be executed instead of Kit. Tygra announced,

" This Cat has aided a dangerous prisoner into escaping from the Palace dungeons. Such action is treason and the act of treason is punishable by death."

I could hear the mass of Cats yelling for Tygra to kill Panthro on the spot until they were silenced when Tygra raised his hand up. Next, Tygra forced Panthro to his knees and prepared to behead him. He was in the process of doing so when my actions made him cease what he was doing. I pulled out the Sword of Omens and shot lightning out of the blade. The lightning bolt hit Tygra, making him fall to the ground.

I shouted in rage, " That's enough, Tygra!"

He jumped to his feet while the gasps of Cats could be heard far and wide. Tygra yelled,

" How dare you steal the Sword of Omens?"

" The Sword was always mine. If anyone did the stealing, it was you."

I jumped up onto the platform and declared,

" This has to end, Tygra. You need to own up to what you have done."

" I have done nothing wrong! I am the rightful King of Thundera!"

" Stop this, Tygra! Kat has been slain because of this! His blood is on your hands! How many more innocent Cats must die until you are satisfied?"

" Just one more...you!"

He lunged at me with the intent of killing me. I merely leaned backwards and stuck my foot out, evading and tripping him at the same time. He fell onto the floor of the platform, dropping his sword and causing it to slide away from him. I grabbed it and pinned Tygra to the platform by stabbing the knife into Tygra's clothes. The blade went halfway into the platform, eliminating the chance of Tygra moving. Tygra started to pull out the sword, but was having trouble.

The crowd began to scream at me about how I made a mockery of their King. They stopped shouting when I declared,

" You may think of Tygra as your King, but see if your mind changes after this.** Thundercats, HOOOOOOOOO**!"

The Sword of Omens glowed and radiated with power. My eyes glowed a radiant blue and I commanded, " Sword of Omens, show them...show them all...the memory of my fallen friend!" The Sword did as I commanded and showed everyone the truth about Tygra. Everyone gasped in disbelief about the images that were being shown before them. Once they have seen everything that they needed to, the Sword stopped using its power.

At that moment, Tygra was finally able to free himself. All of the Cats began to throw items at him and shout,

" Scum!"

" Impostor!"

" Traitor!"

Shame and anger was portrayed on Tygra's face as he jumped from the platform, fleeing from everyone and everything.

Panthro stood by me and announced,

" All hail King Lion-O, the true ruler of Thundera!"

All the Cats began to chant and cheer, " Hail, King Lion-O!" Relief and happiness flooded through me until I felt dizzy all of a sudden. My body fell slowly to the ground while my vision became clouded by darkness. The last thing I remember was Panthro kneeling over me asking, " Lion-O...can you hear me? Lion-O..."

**Death**

Lion-O was pulled from the alternate future and looked disoriented. After a few minutes, his mind became clear and he remembered what was going on. Lion-O asked,

" Death, did I pass your test?"

" You did, young King."

I'm surprised he fared so well in the test. He never gave up. He always kept his pride intact. He never wavered, not even for a moment. I won't be able to steal his soul if he keeps performing at this rate. I need to break him. Testing his pride obviously wasn't enough to shatter his spirit. I need something more powerful, but what? The image of the cheetah popped into my head. Of course! She is the reason he's going through all this. Lion-O is in love with her, after all. Love is a powerful emotion, but so is Lust. Let's see if Lion-O can distinguish the difference between the two before temptation gets the better of him.


	10. Lesson 2: Think Before You Act

Hi, everyone! Here's the next chapter! Cheetalia is back with a new lesson for Cheetara to learn! I hope everyone is ready! Enjoy!

TC doesn't not belong to me.

Part 9: Lesson #2: Think Before You Act

**Cheetara**

Sorrowful tears ran down my face as a result of watching an illusion of Tygra dying before my eyes. I knew that Mother was trying to prove a point to me by putting me through that, but having to go through such an ordeal was painful. I wiped the tears off my face when I heard Mother state,

" Rise, Cheetara. It's time for your second lesson and I won't give it to you if you're on your knees."

I wiped my tears away and asked, choking back sobs,

" What more do I have to learn?"

" You have much to learn, but for now, answer this question for me. Why did you allow the tiger to steal your intelligence?"

" Mother, he never stole any of that from me. I am and will always be intelligent."

" Is that so? Your actions tell me otherwise."

" How?"

" Ever since you started your relationship with the tiger, have any of your decisions clashed with his? Have you ever disagreed with him at any moment?"

" No."

" That's a problem."

" How is that a problem? I agree with his decisions and support them wholeheartedly."

" That is the problem, Cheetara! The tiger doesn't make good decisions majority of the time!"

" Yes, he does!"

" Really? Then, tell me the truth. Was it a good decision for you and the rest of the ThunderCats to face the army of lizards and Kaynar?

I turned my head away in shame. I couldn't answer her properly because I knew what the answer was. She stated,

" It wasn't a good decision. In fact, it was a horrible one. Why did you go along with it?"

" I...I wanted to support Tygra."

" Supporting the tiger? That's what you were most concerned about? Instead of trying to live on to fight another day, you were too busy worrying about the tiger? **Well, that was terrible judgement on your part because supporting the tiger put you in this situation!**."

She winced at my tone and I asked,

" Why have you allowed the tiger to become your master?"

**Cheetara**

Shock overcame me when I heard those words. How could she say something like that? Tygra is not my master! He never was! I retorted loudly,

" Tygra is not my master! He is my mate!"

She replied back,

" In your case , the words "master" and "mate" are synonymous."

" He is not my master!"

Mother informed,

" Yes, he is. Cheetara, in your eyes, he is the sun and the moon. You blindly follow him anywhere. You don't think clearly anymore."

" Yes, I do!"

Mother sighed and informed,

" There was three particular moments where you were intelligent. Then, after you started seeing the tiger, your intelligence disappeared."

" There was more than that!"

" Those certain moments showed how intelligent and independent you were above all the rest."

Mother held out her hand towards the circle and declared, " Show me what I desire. Show me the times where Cheetara was independent and intelligent."

**Cheetalia**

The circle did as I commanded and displayed the event that occurred. Tygra, Lion-O, and Panthro were running out of a collapsing Thunderillium mine field. Tygra screamed,

" _We have to get out of here now!"_

Cheetara turned around and ran back to the cart which held a vast amount of Thunderillium. She grabbed a handful, stating, "_Not without this stuff_." Using her lightning speed, she ran out of the mines and avoided getting hit by any falling rocks.

The circle changed its images to display another moment in Cheetara's life. I saw the group standing in the cliffs that oversaw the Elephant village. Panthro was looking through his binoculars and growled the name of his foe,

" _Grune..."_

Lion-O stated, " _We need to go about this delicately. He's got hostages_."

Kit's voice portrayed concern as she mumbled the name of her friend, " _Auburn..."_

Cheetara questioned, " _What are you thinking, Lion-O?_"

He answered, staring at the Elephant village with a serious face, " _Let's wait until nightfall. Use stealth._"

Tygra's face showed annoyance as he countered, " _Are you kidding? We can't waste time waiting for the right window! We should move in now! I say we use the Thundertank. It's our only chance against their firepower_."

There was anger on Lion-O's face because Tygra was challenging his orders. He snarled,

" _Why do you have to challenge every command I make, Tygra_?"

Tygra's eyes showed anger as well and he snarled back,

" _Because, I actually studied military strategies with Father while you goofed off_."

Cheetara inputed before the conflict between the two brother escalated any further, " _The tank can't make it. Besides, I always considered stealth to be your greatest strength_."

The circle's image changed for the final time for us to see Cheetara guarding the portal into the Astral Plane. She used her staff to knock some lizards to the ground, stating fiercely, " _No one goes near that hut_!"

I waved my hand and made the viewing circle stop. I stated, " Back then, you thought with your head. You considered the consequences of every decision before acting. I miss that Cheetara. Sadly, she exists no longer."

This caused Cheetara to yell back at me,

" I am still like that!"

" You are not. Recently, your actions have been brash and reckless."

" Prove it!"

" With pleasure."

I commanded, " Show me what I desire. Show me the times where Cheetara's thinking never came into play."

The circle displayed an image where Cheetara and Panthro were standing over the kittens. Cheetara ordered, " _You come back with food or you don't come back at all._" Then, she and Panthro turned their backs on the kittens and walked away from them, leaving them abandoned and alone.

I heard Cheetara exclaim,

" I was trying to teach them a lesson!"

" Be that as it may. You forget that they are children. They may have skills, but they're still children. They are not as strong as you, Lion-O, Panthro, or the tiger. What if something bad happened? What if they were caught in a life or death situation with no one to help them? What would you have done then?"

Cheetara couldn't answer me, which made me say,

" Exactly. You need to realize that your actions affect you and the others around you, especially Lion-O."

" How do my actions affect Lion-O?"

I rolled my eyes, asking in annoyance, " Have you forgotten that Lion-O fell deeply in love with you?"

Hearing that made Cheetara turned her head in shame once again, which made me continue,

" You meant the world to him. He would have done everything in his power to save you, and actually did at one point. However, what did you decide to do? You decided to crush his heart into a million pieces by kissing the tiger right in front of him."

She yelled at me in defense, " You can't blame me for that! I didn't know he was there!"

I informed,

" You're right. I can't blame you for that and I don't. I blame you for your actions afterwards."

" What did I do that was so wrong?"

" Watch."

I waved my hand in front of the circle, making it resume its actions. Now, it showed Lion-O and Cheetara standing in front of the Thundertank. Lion-O said woefully,

" _Every time I turned around, your eyes on me. You followed me everywhere, even into all of this_."

Cheetara turned away and explained hesitantly, " _It's because...Jaga asked me to watch over you_."

Lion-O's face showed shock and then, his expression transformed into anger and outrage. He demanded answers from her,

" _Then, all those things you said...about seeing something special about me...that was just part of your job?!_"

She answered back, " _Of course not! I believe in you with all my heart. It's just that heart belongs to someone else_."

Cheetara stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder, stating, " _This doesn't change our relationship_."

Lion-O backed away from her touch, commenting with sadness, " _But, it does. It changes everything_."

I glared at Cheetara because I knew she would try to form an excuse for her actions. She did by saying,

" I told him the truth. Jaga asked me to watch over him."

" I don't doubt that, but did Jaga tell you to tell him all those things?"

" No, but I don't see how that-"

" Cheetara, it does concern this situation. From the very beginning, Lion-O felt like an outcast in his own home. Everyone thought he was crazy. Then, he met you. You said all those nice things to him and he felt like there was finally someone who would understand him, someone he could talk to and wouldn't get judged. So, when you said that the only reason you followed him on this perilous journey was because of Jaga's request, it was only natural for him to react that way. You made it seem like the only reason you supported him was because Jaga wanted you to."

Cheetara's eyes widened while I questioned,

" Also, how could you tell Lion-O that your relationship hasn't changed?"

" It...It hasn't. We are still very good friends."

I rolled her eyes at her remark and said, " Cheetara, when you started seeing the tiger, Lion-O was heartbroken. Heartbreak isn't an easy thing to get over. You feel like your heart is being torn apart and crushed. You feel like your heart will never be mended again. He can't look at you the same away anymore, not as a comrade and definitely not as a friend. You hurt him too much."

Cheetara's face showed sorrow as I added one last thing,

" There is one final event that is even worse than this one."

" What event would that be?"

I waved my hand towards the circle. The circle showed us one more image. Tygra and Cheetara were in a cave that was on the verge of collapsing on top of them. Rocks were falling everywhere and Tygra asked,

" _Should we make a run for it_?"

Cheetara answered back, " _We'll never make it_."

Tygra stated as a result,

" _You're fast enough to get out of here. Go_!"

"_ You know that I would never leave you behind_!"

Tygra placed his hands on Cheetara's shoulders, saying, " If this is our last moment together, then we'd better make the most of it." A small smile played on Cheetara's lips and she nodded. Then, Tygra placed a hand on her cheek and kissed her.

The circle turned black once again and I heard Cheetara demand answers from me,

" How was that wrong?"

" Despite the fact that I depise the tiger, he had a point. You were fast enough to get out of the collapsing cave with the sword, but you didn't. You decided to kiss the tiger instead, which was a poor decision on your part."

" Are you saying that I should have left Tygra there to die?"

" I'm saying that you should have fulfilled your mission. You're job was fairly simple: get in, grab the sword, and get out. However, that job was became difficult because you let the tiger accompany you. Because of the tiger, you got caught in a dangerous situation and only survived because of luck. The Sword of Plundarr would probably have never been stolen from Lion-O if you didn't waste time swapping spit with the tiger."

" You don't know that!"

" Actually, I do. Mumm-Ra's forces didn't catch up with you until after you and the tiger met up with Lion-O and the others. You should have met up with Lion-O with the sword in hand, tiger or no tiger."

Cheetara screamed at me in anger,

" There is no way I would have let Tygra die alone in that cave!"

" Cheetara, you could have died as well. If you succeeded in completing your mission, the chances of your survival would have increased."

" Tygra could have died!"

" Yes, the tiger could have, but which one is worse, the loss of one comrade or two?"

I couldn't answer her question, so I decided to say something else to avoid it.

" Mother, don't you understand? I love Tygra! He means everything to me! I will always be by his side, until the very end!"

" If that's the case, would you die with him? Even if he didn't want you to?"

" Yes."

I sighed in annoyance at Cheetara's stubbornness. The tiger has sank his hooks so far into her that she has become too blind to see the truth in my words. If this keeps up, she'll never learn this lesson before Lion-O comes for her. If she continues down this path, we will meet again soon and Lion-O won't come back to get her a second time. I guess I'll have no choice but to resort to using that ability. I said in response, " We'll see about that." My hand started to emit a radiant golden light. I grabbed Cheetara's head and watched as her eyes turned yellow.

**Cheetara**

Mother suddenly grasped my head tightly, making me scream, " What are you-"

Then, something strange started to happen to me. I felt myself going back to the time where Tygra and I were kissing inside the collapsing cave. We broke apart when a huge shadow covered us. Tygra looked up to see an enormous boulder zooming towards us and pushed me out of the way. My body crashed to the ground and I screamed in anguish, " TYGRA!" I manuevered around falling rocks and gasped in horror at what I saw. Tygra's body from the waist down was crushed underneath the huge rock. He coughed up blood and I tried to lift the rock off of him. However, it was too heavy for me to move with pure strength alone. I was about to resort to using magic, but that method was delayed when I had to prevent falling rocks from hitting me. Tygra weakly said,

" Cheetara...don't...bother. I'm...not...going...to...make...it."

I hit the falling rocks with my staff, screaming, " Tygra, hang on! I'll get you out!"

He coughed up more blood and said,

" You...have...to...go."

" No, I'm not leaving you!"

" Cheetara...you...have...to...go. I...don't...want...you...to...die...with...me."

Tears threatened to fall down my face. Tygra was dying and I couldn't do a thing. I didn't want to go on without him and the thought of dying with him crossed my mind. Then, I remembered what Mother said:_Which one is worse, the loss of one comrade or two? _If I died with Tygra right here and now, I would be with him forever, but the others would feel extreme pain as a result, especially Lion-O. Thinking about him made me remember Mom's words regarding him:_ You need to realize that your actions affect you and the others around you, especially Lion-O. _He already lost his father, and now he would have to deal with the loss of his brother. If I died now, he would have to deal with my loss as well. The grief would tear him apart. If I left here with the Sword, I would have completed my mission, but my heart would be torn in two. I would have to deal with the death of Tygra and the fact that I survived and he didn't.

I didn't have time to think about this. I had to make a decision now. I knelt down and grabbed Tygra's hand. His hand squeezed mine weakly and I said, " Tygra, I love you, remember that always. Please forgive me." I retrieved the Sword and ran out of there as fast as my legs could carry me.

**Cheetalia**

I relinquished my psychic hold on her mind after seeing what Cheetara decided to do. She held her head in her hands and start to breathe slowly, deeply, and heavily. I commented,

" I thought you said that you would stay by the tiger's side, even in death."

" I know what I said."

" Then, what happened back there? Why did you decide to take another course of action?"

" I...I remembered what you said."

" Is that so?"

" Yes. You said that my actions affect others. If luck wasn't on the side of Tygra and me, we would have died that night. If that occurred, the pain would be too much for Lion-O to bear. I should have completed my mission, instead of cheating death with Tygra. At the time, I was being foolish."

" Good. You learned and understood what I was trying to teach you. Because of your actions, you passed this lesson."

Cheetara looked at me with a broken expression and asked, " Why, Mother? Why must you do this to me? Why must you cause me so much pain, just to teach me something?"

I turned my head away from her and answered, " I have my reasons." She had a sad look on her face after she heard my answer, causing my heart to twitch with pain.

I'm sorry, Cheetara. I can't tell you that Lion-O is coming for you, at least not yet. The tiger's hold on your heart is too strong right now. If you return to the world of the living as you are now, I'll see you here again soon afterwards, which is something I don't want to happen. That's why I'm doing this. That's why I'm going to such extremes to teach you these lessons. I'm fighting against the clock. You have to learn all this before Lion-O gets here. If I must cause you pain in order for you to go back to your old self and shed this persona, then, so be it.

**Cheetara**

I wish Mother would explain her reasoning for doing this to me. I realize that I have changed over time, but pointing the changes out to me like this hurts terribly. My thoughts were interrupted when Mother asked me one question that caught me off guard,

" Cheetara, if Lion-O sent you into exile, what would you do?"


	11. Lust - Part 1

Hi, everyone! I apologize for the long wait! Here's the next chap! Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

TC doesn't not belong to me.

Part 10: Lust - Part 1

**Lion-O**

My mind was still reeling from recent events. Everything about Death's first test felt so real. I was completely unaware that the circumstances around me were all a part of the test. If the first test was like that, it's pretty safe to assume that Death will pull that trick on me again during the rest of the tests. Determination flooded through me as I thought to myself, "It doesn't matter what kind of tricks Death pulls during these tests. I will pass them, no matter what. After all, I'm fighting for Cheetara's sake, not my own. I declared,

" Death, begin the next test. I'm ready."

" No."

" What?!"

" You heard me correctly the first time, young King."

Shock and outrage rippled through me at the same time. I yelled back in anger,

" We had a deal, Death! Are you going to break it now because I didn't fail your first test and didn't claim my soul?!"

" Don't be ridiculous. I may have believed you were going to fail the first test, but I wouldn't stoop so low as to go back on our deal because I may be dissatisfied with the results. Using underhanded tactics such as that are cowardly. All I want to do is simply offer you a deal."

" A deal?"

" Yes, a deal."

" What are the terms?"

" It's quite simple. I'm giving you the option of to cease taking the tests and walk away from all of this unscathed. If you do, you'll get to leave with your soul."

" If I do that, Cheetara's soul will remain with you, right?"

" Yes. The cheetah did die, after all. Therefore, her soul belongs to me since I am the ruler of this deceased realm and she crossed into it. You, on the other hand, did not die. You came here through other means."

" No."

Death's eyes portrayed shock for a second before he said,

" Young king, it's best if you think about your options before answering so quickly. You are the only Cat I have granted with this opportunity. I suggest you take it."

" Thank you for the offer, but my answer remains the same."

" Are you aware that the tests are going to get more and more difficult? I saw your performance during the first test and you struggled throughout the whole thing. It's only going to get worse. You're not going the pass the tests. No one ever has or will. Do yourself a favor and leave while you still have a soul."

Impatience spread through me while I heard his words. I already declined his offer and yet, he is still trying to convince me to quit. I repeated my answer a third time,

"No."

Death scoffed and commented, " I'm in a merciful mood, for once, and you still refuse me. I don't understand why you would go so far for a Cat who won't even feel the same way about you, no matter what you do."

**Death**

I saw Lion-O's eyes tear away from my gaze, which made me continue,

" She only has eyes for your brother. Those eyes will never be on you. Surely, you must know that."

My response was met with a moment of silence before the young lion stated,

" I don't care."

" Don't try to lie to me. Everything that I am saying to you is cutting into your heart, not because it's painful to hear, but because you already know that my words are true. Your feelings will never be returned and even if you do bring her back to life, she will still run to Tygra's side wholeheartedly. Who knows? Maybe, your efforts will be in vain and she'll wind up back here again. She's not worth the effort, in my opinion. "

A roar erupted from the lion which made me cease talking for only a moment. He responded in a tone full of rage,

" I don't care who you are, but you will not talk about Cheetara like that in my presence. No matter what you believe, Cheetara is worth the effort. She will always be worth the effort to me. As far as your mercy is concerned, you can keep it. I don't need it. All I need from you is Cheetara's soul when I pass all of your tests."

His tone caused me to narrow my eyes in annoyance. However, my annoyance flushed out of me when I saw the fiery determination in Lion-O's eyes. He is interesting, I'll give him that. However, he needs to learn his place. He is in my domain and I am King, not him. No matter, he'll learn the hard way during this next test. He claims that Cheetara is worth the effort, so let's see how he'll fare during this next test when I give him the one thing he desires most.

I informed, " Very well, since you have no interest in my offer, you will proceed to the next test." After waving my hand, Lion-O disappeared from sight and I cast my eyes to the viewing circle in anticipation for an entertaining show.

**Lion-O**

When I opened my eyes, I saw that I was inside a tent with blankets wrapped around me. This sparked confusion within me as I removed the blankets. My face flushed red when I realized that I had no clothes on, which caused me to cover myself with the blankets I just discarded. What's going on here and where are my clothes? My eyes darted around and saw that my clothes were on the ground. By the way they looked, it looked like they were thrown on the ground. As I put them on, I wondered, " Why would I throw my clothes on the ground?"

As I was putting them back on, I heard rustling, which made me look up. I was so confused that I didn't realize that another body was laying next to mine, concealed in blankets. Curiosity overwhelmed me and I approached the individual, removing the blankets to see who was next to me. My eyes widened in shock when I lifted the blankets to reveal a naked, slumbering, Cheetara.

I dropped the blankets and backed away from her sleeping form. Luckily, my actions didn't wake her up. After creating some distance between us, I sank to the ground while my face was bright red like a ripe tomato. At the moment, I could only comprehend three things:

1. Cheetara was currently naked.

2. I was previously naked before I found my clothes.

3. We were sleeping in the same area.

That means we must have been...

The mere thought of what we could of possibly done made me utter one word,

" Whiskers."


	12. Lust - Part 2

Hi, everyone! Apologies for the long wait. I got really busy. Anyway, I have returned with a new chapter. Hope you enjoy it!

Thundercats doesn't belong to me. Cheetalia and Death does.

Part 11: Lust - Part 2

**Lion-O **

If there was a way to describe how I felt, the closest thing to it would be confused. No, confused was an understatement. I was bewildered. Why did Cheetara and I have...have... I slapped my cheeks and scolded quietly,

" Focus, Lion-O! There's no getting around it! Cheetara and I had a night of intimacy! So, stop acting like a child about it!"

Saying it aloud didn't help my current state of affairs. In fact, it made more questions form inside of my mind. Why did Cheetara and I have intimacy anyway? She was with Tygra...wasn't she? I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice that I wasn't the only one who was awake in the room. A hand touched my face and I came back to reality. I was greeted with a concerned Cheetara and she asked me,

" Lion-O, are you alright? You don't look well."

I hesitated in answering her because I was stunned by the fact that she was still naked. Feeling ashamed for looking, I turned my face away from her and answered,

" I-I'm fine."

" You don't look fine, Lion-O, but I think I know what will help you feel better."

She wrapped her arms around my neck and placed her lips against mine. I gently pushed her away from me and said,

" No, we shouldn't do this, not now."

" What's wrong? You weren't shy last night."

I stood up and turned my back to her, hiding my blushing face. Grabbing my clothes, I began to dress myself. Cheetara began to do the same, commenting, " Then again, you have a point, Lion-O. There is a time and place for these kinds of things. The day will be better spent rebuilding the kingdom."

Surprise overwhelmed me and I repeated for clarification,

" Rebuilding our kingdom?"

" Yes, Lion-O, you gathered all the stones, united all the animals, and defeated Mumm-Ra. How could you forget all that?"

" I..."

I didn't get a chance to answer because I heard Panthro yell, " Lion-O! Cheetara! Wake up already! We need your help out here!"

Cheetara chuckled and said, " I guess we better get out there. It's time for work. Besides..."

Wrapping her arms around me in a hug, she kissed me on the cheek and finished her statement in a whisper, " We can have our time later tonight." I flinched when I felt her breath on my ear. She removed herself from me and exited the tent with me following behind her moments later.

**Death**

A hearty laugh erupted from me while I watched Lion-O realize what transpired between him and Cheetara. His reactions were quite amusing and entertaining for me to watch. He is only a child, so he never experienced the pleasures of flesh. This could turn out to be quite a good show for me and it'll be even better when he falls into my trap.

**Lion-O**

When I walked outside the tent, I was stunned at the sight before me. The Thundarian kingdom was being rebuilt, but not just by cats. Dogs, elephants, birds, even reptiles...all the races were united and were aiding in the cause of restoring our home to the way it was. The only difference was that I was the ruler, instead of my father. Seeing the cooperation between them almost brought tears to my eyes. My vision became a reality.

I felt someone bump into me from behind and I heard them fall on the ground. I turned around to see Tygra rubbing his head with his eyes closed. I held out my hand and apologized,

" I'm sorry, Tygra. This was all my fault. I shouldn't have been standing in your way. Here, let me help you up."

My response was a stare of hatred which caused a chill travel up and down my spine. Tygra slapped my hand away, got up, and remarked coldly, " I don't need help from a **thief**."

He stormed away from me in anger, causing me to stare at his retreating form. He just called me a thief. Is it possible that he was referring to Cheetara?

My thoughts were interrupted when Kat asked,

" Lion-O, can you help me fix the houses?"

**Cheetara**

I saw Tygra disrespecting Lion-O and felt nothing but disdain because of it. I know that he's jealous because of my newfound relationship with Lion-O, but he doesn't have the right to treat him however he sees fit. Lion-O may be his brother, but he is also the King. I will remind him of this as Lion-O's Cleric and his mate. I followed after him and that led me deep into the woods. I finally caught up to Tygra and saw that he was gathering lunch for everyone. Cracking his whip, he grabbed some apples and pulled them down from the tallest branches of the trees. He noticed I was here when he demanded,

" What do you want, Cheetara?"

I answered in a stern tone, " I want you to start treating Lion-O with respect from now on. He doesn't deserve your cruelty and ill will."

He threw a smirk at me and sneered, " Do you expect me to be happy about your relationship with him?"

His sneer only made my anger even more fierce and I exclaimed, " Your feelings about my relationship with him are irrelevant! He is your King! Have you forgotten that?!"

The fact that I brought up Lion-O's ascension to the throne made him narrow his eyes, but I didn't care. He walked towards me,

" The throne was rightfully mine, but he stole it from me. He stole everything from me: my throne, my kingdom, my sword..."

He placed his hand on my cheek and finished, " He even stole you away from me." Tygra looked at me with sadness and longing. That look in his eyes tugged at my heartstrings a little, only to be replaced by scorn.

I tore myself out of his grasp and answered back defiantly, " Lion-O didn't steal me away from you! I chose to leave you, Tygra! I'm with Lion-O now, accept that!"

Tygra grasped me by the shoulders, causing me to wince a little in pain. He screamed with animosity,

" Snap out of it, Cheetara! You're speaking nonsense!"

" No, I'm not! Let go of me!"

" Do you really think Lion-O will stay with you after Thundara is rebuilt?! Are you really that naive?!"

" What nonsense is spouting from your mouth this time?"

" Cheetara, you are nothing more than a Cleric. Lion-O is a King. Do you really think he'll still be with you once he takes charge of his kingdom? Because, he won't. He'll find a more suitable mate and you'll be left alone to wallow in heartbreak and misery."

**Tygra**

She hesitated to respond to me, which meant that I was getting to her. Good. She'll be back in my arms in no time. All I have to do is keep pushing her buttons and playing to her insecurities. She'll leave Lion-O in a heartbeat if I play my cards right. I placed my hands on her face and said gently,

" I can save you from this path of pain that you are walking. All you have to do is leave Lion-O and come back to me. We can be happy, just like before. I'll never hurt you or cast you aside. That's a promise."

**Cheetara**

Those words caused me to come to my senses. I slapped his hands away and declared, " Don't make promises you can't keep. You hurt me before and I will not make the same mistake again." I attempted to walk away from him only to be pulled back. A low growl escaped from me when I heard Tygra exclaim,

" I told you before that what happened back then wasn't my fault!"

" That's typical of you, Tygra. You always blame others instead of admitting that you're the one at fault."

I pulled my wrist out of his grasp, screeching, " I love Lion-O! Deal with it!"

Hearing my feelings for Lion-O at loud caused mindless anger to take over Tygra. He raised his hand above me in an attempt to strike me across the face. However, a hand pulled grabbed his wrist before his hand could connect with my face. I was shocked to see Lion-O standing behind Tygra, commanding,

" Tygra, you need to compose yourself. Distance yourself away from the group until you have your emotions in check. That's an order."

Tygra snarled at Lion-O and stomped deeper and deeper into the woods until he was nowhere in sight.

Lion-O looked at me with concern and tenderness, asking,

" Cheetara, are you okay?"

" No, I'm not okay."

I wasn't okay. I was terrified. The anger that I saw Tygra express was feral and could turn deadly if provoked. I've never seen him act that way before. He almost struck me. What could happen if he vented his negative emotions on Lion-O? My thoughts were interrupted when Lion-O said,

" If you need to talk to me..."

" I do. I do need to talk to you, but not now. Can it wait until later?"

" Yeah...it can wait."


	13. Lust - Part 3

Hi, everyone! After a long period of writer's block, I finally recuperated. I have coming bearing gifts: a new chapter! :)

Enjoy!

TC doesn't not belong to me.

Part 12: Lust - Part 3

**Lion-O**

Day turned into night and nothing but silence passed between me and Cheetara. I was a little disheartened by this. As much as I wanted to discuss what occurred between Tygra and her, I knew it was best not to push the issue any further. Returning to the efforts that helped restore the kingdom did benefit me. I was able to regain my memories of the final battle between Mumm-Ra and me.

We ate dinner around the campfire with the exception of Tygra. He ate alone in his tent, making me feel a pinch of guilt. I know I experienced the pain of heartbreak every time I saw Tygra and Cheetara acting affectionate towards each other, but it was never got to the point where I couldn't stand near Tygra. I goes...now that Cheetara and I are...

Wait, Lion-O. You can't think like that. You have no idea what's going on, so you can't accept things so easily. As much as the thought of Cheetara being my mate fills me with happiness, I can't regard it as true until I know what's going on. I finished my food and retired to my tent for the night. I sat on my blankets and placed my head on my hands in a thinking position. However, this all changed when Cheetara entered the tent. A sad smile formed on her face as she stated, " I'm ready to talk to you now."

Seeing Cheetara in such pain made me say, " You don't have to tell me, not if you don't want to." She shook her head, sat down next to me, and responded,

" I do have to tell you. I want to tell you."

" Are you sure?"

" Yes."

I nodded and allowed Cheetara to talk. She took a deep breath and confessed, " I got into a dispute with Tygra. He wants me to go back to him. He wants me to start a new relationship with him."

I tore my eyes away from her and asked, " What was your answer?" Asking that question caused me a little bit of pain. She says that we're in a relationship, but I'm not sure how we got together in the first place. Besides, she may still love Tygra and if she does...

" I told him that I love you."

Hearing those words made my heart skyrocket a bit and I asked the one question that had been haunting me for the longest time,

" What caused you and Tygra to end your relationship?"

" I thought I told you that story."

" I guess...I need reminding. I'm sorry."

" That's okay. You are the King after all. You have more important things to focus on rather than me and my problems. Do you remember the day that you beat Mumm-Ra once and for all?"

I nodded my head in response while she continued, " We made our way back to Thundara after you rested up, but before we arrived, we decided to stop at a tavern to celebrate our victory." As she told her tale, images of the past started to play in my mind.

**Three months ago...**

All of us were sitting at a table and were waiting for someone to assist us. I could hear my stomach rumbling, along with the Kittens's stomachs. Kat complained, " We're hungry. When is our food getting here?" I emitted a sigh and said,

" It's coming. We just have to be patient."

_" _Kit and I don't want to be patient_!"_

Cheetara chuckled and looked at Tygra, only to raise an eyebrow at him. Tygra seemed to be staring out into space. Cheetara snapped his fingers in front of his face, saying, " _Hello? Is anyone in there? Tygra?_" Suddenly, a wolfish grin formed on his face as he continued to stare in one direction. Cheetara didn't look pleased by this and followed his line of sight to see exactly what intrigued her mate so much. However, it wasn't an object that captured Tygra's interest. It was a cat, and a very attractive one to say the least. She had beautiful beige hair and fur. Her eyes were as green as the grass itself. Her clothes consisted of a black dress that emphasized her womanly features._  
_

A scowl formed on Cheetara's face and she said, distastefully, " If you keep staring at her like that, your eyes might fall off."

Tygra commented cheekily, " If she keeps looking like that, it's worth going blind."

Cheetara growled at his words, causing Tygra to put his hands up in a defensive gesture, saying, " I'm just kidding! I'm just kidding_!_"

I shook my head at Tygra's antics. He shouldn't be admiring other cats, especially when he had Cheetara as a mate. The cat Tygra was admiring walked to our table and said, " Hello, my name is Cougara and I'll be serving you. What can I get for?"

Kit and Kat happily exclaimed at the same time, " Candy fruit!"

Panthro said, " Roasted Hog."

I said, " Roasted fire bird."

Cheetara commented, " Make that two roasted fire birds."

The cat nodded and turned her attention to Tygra. She flashed a smile at him and asked, " What can I get you, handsome?"

A smirk formed on my brother's face as he responded, " That depends. Can I get you?"

Cougara giggled and answered, " I'm not on the menu."

Tygra's eyes traveled up and down Cougara's body as he only said one word, " Shame."

A growl escaped from Cheetara as Tygra ignored it, saying, " I'll have the roasted hog."

Cougara nodded and walked away from the table. At the same time, Cheetara stated,

" Tygra, I don't appreciate you flirting with other cats in front of me."

" It's just a little harmless flirting. What's the big deal?"

" Are you really asking me that question right now?!"

Thinking quickly, I picked up the Kittens and said, " Let's go, guys."

Kit and Kat squirmed in my arms and exclaiming,

" Lion-O, put us down! We want to eat our food!"

" Cheetara will get put our food in the Forever Bag and we'll eat it later. Right, Panthro?"

Panthro nodded and walked behind us out of the tavern, leaving Cheetara and Tygra alone to talk.

**Cheetara**

I knew the others left us because of the dispute Tygra and I were having. Truthfully, I was glad that they did. They didn't need to witness any relationship problems between us. Tygra shrugged and said nonchalantly, " I don't know why you're so upset. This isn't something to blow up over."

His words made me very angry. I'm supposed to be his mate and he thinks it's okay to flirt with other people in my presence?! I asked Tygra in a serious tone of voice, " Tygra, do you honestly want to be with me or am I just another one of your conquests?"

He looked appalled that I even asked that question. Tygra put his hand over mine and said, " Cheetara, I want to be with you. I plan on being with you for the rest of my life."

I slid my hand out from under his and questioned, " If you truly mean that, then, why do you flirt with other cats?"

Tygra simply answered, " I like what I see and I also think that cats of beauty should be complimented."

Funny. He never did that for me. I started to become agitated with each passing second. Tygra wasn't seeing the point or didn't want to see it. Either way, I was fed up. I had to leave. In the corner of my eye, I saw Cougara coming with the food. Perfect. When she arrived, I dropped everyone's meal, except Tygra's, inside the bag and threw it over my shoulder. Tygra was displeased by my actions and grabbed my wrist. If looks could kill, Tygra would have died instantly after I turned around. He urged, " Cheetara, don't go. Please...sit down and eat."

I ripped my wrist out of his grip and stated angrily, " No. You want to flirt with other cats? Fine. You can flirt with them all you like, but don't expect me to be around when you do." I stormed out of the tavern, but before I left, I turned around declared, " If you keep flirting with other cats, don't expect me to stay for mate much longer."


End file.
